Inheritance
by NecromanticHarbinger
Summary: AU. Naruto's reality is tipped on its head when the mission to Nami no Kuni goes awry. With a set of fresh, untempered skills and a thousand scattered glimpses into tragedies past, is it any wonder he's struggling to remember how to live? (And if he never does... Well, who needed hope anyway?)
1. Prologue

**INHERITANCE, a Naruto fanfiction**

**AU. Naruto's reality is tipped on its head when the mission to Nami no Kuni goes awry. With a set of fresh, untempered skills and a thousand scattered glimpses into tragedies past, is it any wonder he's struggling to remember how to live? (And if he never does... Well, who needed hope anyway?)**

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><p><strong>"FALLOUT" - INHERITANCE ARC #1<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Naruto, certainly. I'm far too poor for that.<strong>

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><p>At the bridge in Nami no Kuni {Land of Waves}, Team Kakashi was currently facing their second true life-or-death fight as shinobi. As Sakura desperately tried to defend the bridge-builder Tazuna, and silently prayed for her teammates' success, her teacher Hatake Kakashi, the infamous Copy Ninja, was battling the Kirigakure no Kijin {Demon of the Hidden Mist}, Momochi Zabuza. They battled in ninjutsu, taijutsu and kenjutsu, and found themselves evenly-matched.<p>

The most intriguing fight, however, was that between Haku, a descendant of Kirigakure's Yuki clan, and Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. Haku's use of Hyōton (Ice Release) ninjutsu was too much for Sasuke and Naruto to bear, and both were riddled with senbon. Their movements were becoming progressively more sluggish, and Naruto was currently only semi-conscious on the ground, having received blows to multiple pressure-points that would normally render a shinobi catatonic. Fortunately, as both a jinchūriki, and an unknowing descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, Naruto was highly resilient to such attacks.

The faux-oinin {Hunter-nin} was positioned within his Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals), senbon at the ready to launch at his foes. He watched as the raven-haired one scanned the mirrors attentively, searching for any indicator as to which held the original, and where the next attack may come from. "You… move well…" Haku commented, both pleasing and confusing Sasuke with the hint of admiration in the voice. "Regardless…" the Hyōton user continued, "this time I'll stop you."

'_Your body, reflexes, ability to react… you should already be at your limit…'_ Haku thought as he prepared more senbon for another barrage. He noted that the kind boy he met mere days earlier in a clearing rose also, standing himself beside his comrade. "He's coming!" he heard the orange-clad shinobi exclaim, and the Yuki once again found himself questioning how exactly the blond-haired boy passed whatever examination was required for promotion to genin in Konoha.

"Shh!" the raven hissed lowly, as both drew a kunai. "Calm down, concentrate and see through it, usuratonkachi!" Naruto nodded and both trained their eyes on the mirrors in preparation for the next barrage, ignoring their own beaten, bloodied forms. As Haku launched the senbon, both boys dodged to the right at the last moment, the blond being nicked slightly but otherwise free of any newly-acquired injuries.

'_They saw it?! No way!'_ the faux-oinin internally protested, shocked and confused at the pair's reaction. As the two lifted their faces, Haku found himself gazing into the eyes of the Sharingan. Or rather, to be more accurate, _two sets_ of Sharingan, one with a collective three tomoe, and the other with two between them. _'Those eyes… it can't be… the Sharingan?!'_

Naruto was confused as to how he could suddenly see so easily, and looked over to Sasuke, only to gasp. "Sasuke, you have eyes like Kakashi-sensei's!" Naruto exclaimed, completely unaware of the change in his own eyes, bar the noticeable increase in the clarity of his vision. The blond Uzumaki saw his teammate turn his head with a smirk, only for aforementioned Uchiha to stop dead and do a double-take.

'_How…?'_ Sasuke thought in shock, completely unsure as to how he should react in this situation. Suddenly, he was snapped out of his shock by the voice of their enemy, which was really starting to _get on his nerves_.

"Ah, so you two are also bearers of an advanced bloodline… no matter," the androgynous figure trailed off as he launched the senbon, Naruto being caught by several more due to a moment of confusion regarding the figure's words. Sasuke, meanwhile managed to dodge. _'How does the dobe have the Sharingan? Don't tell me he's… family?'_ Sasuke wondered.

The idea seemed foreign to the last Uchiha – _'Not-so-last, now'_, he mused idly. After spending so many years of his life alone, knowing that the only living family he could have now – _'Itachi does not count. He will NEVER count, not again!'_ his mind insisted – would be those he fathered and raised himself. And, honestly, that was a little further-down on his priorities list right now. Killing the bastard came first. But… maybe he wouldn't be as alone as he thought, now…

'_Wha- what did he mean, _two_ of us? I'm not… I'm not…' _Naruto wondered in confusion as his body gave out momentarily from the damage sustained once again. He heard the figure speak again, and his eyes widened in panic as he saw the figure race out of the mirror directly across from him and hurl senbon at him, most likely to strike him in the eyes – an instant kill.

Sasuke, with his Sharingan active, was having similar thoughts. As time seemed to slow down, he ran for Naruto as the masked figure shot at the blond-haired… Uchiha? Hmm… perhaps… Regardless, Sasuke had only just gotten some form of family back, and he'd be damned if he lost it this quickly. _'Naruto… Damn, make it in time!'_

Running to intercept the attack, Sasuke was left with little option but to throw himself between the oncoming attack and his teammate.

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><p>Holding a hand against his bleeding chest wound, Kakashi panted as he stared at Zabuza, slightly panicked. "Ugh…"<p>

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed in horror as Tazuna watched on with terrified eyes. Seeing the figure of a mildly-bloodied Zabuza not metres away from her, Sakura couldn't help but feel weak at the knees as panic struck her. The visage of the Kirigakure no Kijin was truly living up to its moniker; or at least, in her mind, anyway.

"You were too late, Kakashi…" Zabuza mocked in his raspy voice which spent cold shivers down their spines. "Did your desire to save these brats cloud your mind and make this mist thicken further?" he idly wondered, smirking at the fear he invoked in his foes.

"Even with that impressive eye, your ability to read my movements is dimming…" Zabuza trailed off, once more fixing his voice in a mocking drawl. "Hehehe, let me enjoy this more, Kakashi… I want more fun as I return the favour… Don't worry about yours brats; Haku has probably already killed them," Zabuza commented, sadistic mirth twinkling in his eyes as he saw Kakashi's jaw tighten beneath the man's mask. "Oh, don't worry, Hatake. I'm sending you to the same place they're going… so you'll get to apologise for being too weak to protect them!" His last words were a shout, leaving the three to stare in shock at the sickening thirst for blood shining in the man's slightly-manic eyes.

Sakura, in her anger at the man's words, drew unnecessary attention to herself. "NO WAY!" she shrieked. "SASUKE-KUN WON'T BE DEFEATED BY A GUY LIKE THAT SO EASILY! SAME FOR NARUTO!" she continued as her 'inner-self' shouted its agreement.

"Exactly…" Kakashi agreed, shocking Zabuza with the certainty in his voice. "I believe in their strength," the Copy-Ninja continued with a solid stare at the 'Demon', daring the man to disagree. "Naruto's unshakeable determination and drive… and Sasuke's heritage as the last of one of Konoha's most prominent clans…"

Zabuza stiffened in shock. Remembering the time he saw the boy, he realised he may have made a fatal mistake in sending Haku against the raven. "You mean…" he trailed off uncertainly, rather worried about the conclusions his mind was making. _Of course_ he'd heard of the _single survivor_…

"Yes…" Kakashi affirmed, "His name is Uchiha Sasuke, a genius ninja with the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha Clan running through his veins."

"An offspring of that tragic clan…" Zabuza halted, realising things he should have seen _sooner_. Kami-dammit. _'No wonder he's been progressing so quickly…'_ he continued his train of thought as he made hand signs. "But that's the same case as Haku, then; there's never been a case of the Makyō Hyōshō failing," Zabuza announced as he vanished into the mist once more.

"He disappeared again!" Sakura exclaimed, stating the obvious. Kakashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and inwardly promised to introduce Team 7's lone kunoichi to his friend Kurenai. Or maybe Anko…

Right. Not the time.

"Sakura, stay here. It's about time I finished this fight," Kakashi ordered as he bounded out into the mist, not even bothering to listen to his student's reply. He vaguely saw what he thought to be the outline of Zabuza through the mist and spoke up. "You seem to think I survived in the shinobi system with naught but my Sharingan, Zabuza. But, I am afraid I'm a former, trained member of the **Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai **{Special Assassination and Tactical Squad}** (1)**, so I'll show you the ninja I used to be. Instead of copying jutsu… I'll show you my own!" Kakashi declared with certainty, inwardly hoping that his genin were faring well against their foe, and deciding that they would all need to get some training done once this mission was over.

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><p>Naruto stared in shock at the scene before him, a startling clarity to it as the reality he knew crumbled. In front of him, Sasuke stood slumped forwardly slightly, his body ridden with senbon, panting heavily. Across from them, Haku was collapsed on the ground in pain, having borne the brunt of Sasuke's counter-attack.<p>

"Tch, dobe… You're always getting in the way," Sasuke remarked as he slumped backwards slightly, Naruto catching his body as it fell, staring in shock at the blood and the sheer _number_ of sharp, pointy implements sticking out of the Last Uchiha's downed form.

"Sasuke… you…?" _'Why?'_

"What's with that face, you moron?" Sasuke smirked weakly as Naruto gaped at the raven, uncomprehending of how events escalated to this point. _'Why would he save me?'_ Naruto wondered. "Pft. I hated you…" Sasuke continued hoarsely, feeling his body giving way to the blood loss and poison on the senbon.

"But… but…" Naruto trailed off weakly, until his anger spiked. "WHY?! I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR HELP, TEME!" Naruto raged, refusing to accept this despite the fact that he could _feel_ it being burned into his memory, forevermore.

"I… don't know…" Sasuke trailed off uneasily, his face scrunched up in the very epitome of pain. "My body… moved on its own," he continued, as Naruto watched in shock. "Idiot…" He paused a moment, and then, "That man… my brother… I swore I wouldn't die until I killed him. But now… you're here. Avenge our clan, for me, please…" he coughed up blood, chuckling weakly. "You better attain your dream… dobe…"

And with that, Uchiha Sasuke died.

"He landed a heavy blow on me, and died for you without even flinching… he is truly strong, to protect his precious person in such a way," Haku commented as he rose. "He is a shinobi that truly deserves respect." He finished, staring at the body of the Uchiha in his kin's arms. "Is this the first time you have lost a close friend? This is… the way of the shinobi!" Haku proclaimed as he prepared to send another hail of senbon and end the fight, stepping back into the mirrors.

"Shut up…" Naruto exclaimed quietly, his body exuding extreme killing intent as he rose slowly, his arms still cradling the dead Uchiha. Guilt churned deep in his gut - a soul-deep anguish haunting him. A dull ache crept into his eyes. Hatred bubbled, spat and boiled, and he wanted nothing more than to _scream_. To make the world - to make his enemies - feel _pain_. This was his fault. If only he'd been faster, better, stronger... _'I hated you, too_', he thought quietly. Suddenly, the ache in his eyes turned to sharp, burning, blinding pain, and he finally let loose a resounding cry of rage and anguish.

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><p>Kakashi, Zabuza, Sakura and Tazuna's attention turned in the direction of the ice dome as an inhuman scream tore through the previous quiet, and a heavy killing intent leaked into the area. Sakura took a step backwards, quaking in fear as Tazuna fell to the ground, barely refraining from soiling himself. Kakashi and Zabuza began to sweat and gaze in the direction of the battle between their respective students.<p>

'_What is this?'_ Zabuza thought, having flashbacks to the time he attempted to depose the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura, the Sanbi jinchūriki. Images settled in his mind, of the blond, whiskered boy, and the tales of the legendary Kyūbi. _'Wait… no, surely not… that child cannot be…'_

Kakashi, meanwhile was panicking. If this was what he thought it was… no, there was no doubt about it. The seal was either weakening… or it had broken completely.

'_What could have evoked such a reaction from Naruto?' _he wondered, as both he and Zabuza raced to the Ice Dome, their mutual animosity temporarily ignored.

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><p>Within the <span>Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style)<span>, the Kyūbi opened its eyes after taking a month-long nap, chuckling darkly as it felt an increase in the amount of chakra its host was drawing from the seal. It had been watching over the years as the host had absorbed its chakra from the seal the brat's father had placed before his death. The gaki was pathetic, and now the bijū could finally act on its plan to not only gain its host's favour, but also to up the host's power, and come one step closer to escaping the damned seal… after all, what it was about to do could damage to seal nigh-irreparably, and without the key to the seal, the gaki couldn't do anything about it. Even then, making amendments to Uzumaki Seals was finicky business, best left to the experts, the Uzumaki themselves.

In the meantime, as much as the bijū hated to admit it, the ningen was effectively its representation in the world, meaning that the mortal had to seem the part. After all, to the 'shinobi' of the Elemental Nations, the jinchūriki was the incarnation of the beast in human form – and the Kyūbi would be damned if this _ningen_ made it look_ weak_.

Sending a surge of chakra through the boy's body after collecting it from where it had lain before – attached to his very being like a disgusting stain that it couldn't quite purge, until now – the Kyūbi smirked slightly. Oh, sure, it was possible that the surge may do irreparable damage to the host body, but then the ningen of that village would simply extract the bijū and place him inside another vessel, allowing the whole process to begin again. And the Kyūbi had nothing, if not _time_. Although it doubted any lasting harm would eventuate – after all, the boy _was_ a distant descendant of _him_, not that the gaki could ever compare.

As the strongest bijū finished sending the surge of chakra, it suddenly felt a familiar type of chakra, one that left a certain identifying 'footprint' that the Kyūbi hadn't felt for twelve years… Its eyes widened significantly when it became aware of events outside the seal once more, and it realised just how much of a mistake it may have made.

'**_This is not good,'_** the bijū mused.

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><p>The faux-oinin watched in horror as the blond's head rose to show the spinning Sharingan in his eyes, which slowly morphed into a different form of Sharingan. Each tomoe – '<em>Now fully matured,'<em> he idly noted – extended in opposite directions, starting at a sharp point that originated from the centre of the eye – the pupil of which had remained black – and extended outwards in curves of black, each forming a sort of 'brace', of which there were three placed at equal intervals around the eye. **(2)**

Suddenly, the boy's body became awash in incredibly foul chakra, bubbling red and leaking ill-intent. Then, just as suddenly, the chakra receded, and countless spear-points emerged all along the boy's upper body, pointing in all directions around him. _'What on earth…?'_ Haku thought, stunned, before his thoughts were silenced forever as the spear points all shot forward on chains, embedding themselves in anything around the blond, and impaling themselves throughout multiple points in Haku's body.

As the mirrors shattered and the chakra chains receded, Naruto gazed out on the mist with red-and-black eyes before slumping forward into unconsciousness.

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><p>Hatake Kakashi graduated the Konoha Shinobi Academy at the age of 5, and was promoted to the rank of Chūnin at age 6. He was later demoted – a blight on his record that he would never admit to, even in the face of death – and was re-promoted after spending some time under the command of Namikaze Minato. He made jōnin at age 13, ANBU at age 15, and ANBU Captain not long after that. He'd like to say that he'd become impervious to shock, confusion, and other such frivolous emotions, due to the harsh life he had lived as one of Konohagakure's elite.<p>

However, as it stood, he could positively say he was totally, completely, utterly flabbergasted.

And he would never admit that aloud. _Ever_.

When he sensed the sudden increase in killing intent and chakra, he had immediately feared the worst; after all, Minato-sensei taught that it is best to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. As it stood, he immediately recalled the last time he had felt this particular chakra, on that night twelve years ago when he lost his last two precious people – _'Kushina-sama, Minato-sensei'_ he thought forlornly – and immediately prepared to dash in, extract Sasuke, and high-tail it out of there, mission be damned.

But then, as he and Zabuza had appeared outside the Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals), both peered inside to see the form of Naruto standing over Sasuke's limp form as spear-heads emerged from the boy's body. In an instant, the sound of rattling chains and shattering mirrors announced to the world the death of one of the last of the Yuki Clan. Death by impalement on flying chains made out of chakra, to boot.

How embarrassing.

Kakashi, for his part, survived the sudden bombardment of sharp, pointy implements - courtesy of his blond-haired student - due to instinct and hard-trained reflex alone. His mind was reeling when he saw the golden Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains) extending outwards from where the dome of ice once stood, and he recalled the last time he saw those chains. Kushina-sama had said that they were a rare bloodline of the Uzumaki, awoken only once every few generations, and to see two wielders in any single lifetime was exceedingly rare. Kakashi's mind was abuzz with questions.

Had the bloodline been adapting, and was now available to each generation? Was it something in Minato-sensei's genes that brought out the latent skill? Did Kushina-sama only unlock the ability due to her amazing chakra? Was it just a random fluke of genetics?

Or, perhaps the scariest thought of all, but also the most confusing;

'_Is this the work of the Kyūbi?'_

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><p>Momochi Zabuza was afraid of very few things – a consequence of the life he'd lived as the Kirigakure no Kijin. Indeed, he could count on one hand the number of things he was truly scared of, and even then, he'd have a digit to spare.<p>

_Yagura_. The kid was a psycho. And regardless of what the Yondaime Mizukage said, Zabuza would, to his dying day, insist that the little bastard was still a teenager.

_Bijū_. Pretty reasonable, given the fact that he'd fought Yagura. Besides that, he'd witnessed the carnage that jinchūriki and their bijū were capable of unleashing on the battlefield. It made ordinary shinobi look like children. Children playing at the games of the Triad.

_Okaa-sama_. Zabuza gave an involuntary shudder every time he thought of _that_ woman. The sheer _pride_ in her eyes after he slaughtered that entire graduating class still haunted him in his nightmares. She was… well, its best just said that she ranked above the bijū for a _very_ good reason.

At least he knew where he got it from…

Last, but not least, was the most terrifying individual he had ever met, a woman whose very existence struck fear in the hearts of Kiri-nin to this very day. Some parents even told stories to their children, of how the devil woman who moved with unequalled stealth and grace would come into their homes and teach them the meaning of fear and pain if they didn't do what they were told, and eat all their vegetables.

_Uzumaki Kushina_. More commonly known as Konoha no Kusari-Teikiatsu {Chain Cyclone of the Leaf}. The very _embodiment_ of the Three Things that made an Uzumaki deadly – Swords, Stealth, and Seals.

He'd met her once. On the battlefield. Of course, he was just a young boy back then, barely beginning his teenage years and still not quite on the level of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū {Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist}. Not that their power did _them_ any good in the long run, since they lost two members to that woman alone during the war. She wasn't overly skilled in the ninjutsu department, but her fūinjutsu, kenjutsu and stealth were nigh-on unmatched. She personally led the battlefront between Kirigakure and Konohagakure during the Third Shinobi World War, a masked figure whose identity remained largely unknown. Her rumoured lover, the man who went on to become Konoha's Yondaime Hokage, had led the charge against Kumo; they were a match made in heaven for Konoha, and it was widely acknowledged that, if the two had ever raised an heir together, the child may very well have been the next Shinobi no Kami {God of Shinobi}.

He remembered the battle that made history in Kirigakure, the day that a masked woman with blood-red hair led the forces of Konoha to battle, in a final conflict that signified the end of Kirigakure's involvement in the Third Shinobi World War. Akarikujō no Tatakai {Battle of the Bloodied Shore}. The battle turned up-scale when the Rokubi jinchūriki was ordered to release the bijū she contained on the Konoha shinobi, after which Uzumaki Kushina restrained the bijū with her chains made of solid chakra. The Kusari-Teikiatsu was known for her tough-mindedness on the battlefield, and her unshakable resolve to defend her home. Factor in the knowledge that Kirigakure played no small part in the decimation of her clan's home village and, well…

It was a massacre. No other words could describe it. Zabuza himself only survived by 'playing dead', hiding under a dead body, and later claiming he had been knocked unconscious (or risk incurring the Sandaime Mizukage's wrath).

Due to their loss of the Sanbi in an earlier incident not months before, the Mizukage was left with no other option than to offer Konohagakure their unconditional surrender, and cessation from the War itself, alongside some other concessions. In exchange, they got the two swords of the Swordsmen that they'd lost back, and they got to keep their bijū.

_Joy_.

So, when he saw the Kongō Fūsa, his primal instinct to survive outweighed anything else. Jumping back at the last moment to dodge and inwardly worrying over what happened to Haku, he released his Kirigakure no jutsu (Hiding in Mist technique). The mist cleared, and Zabuza saw the slumped form of the blond Kushina-spawn – _'for what else could he be, with that infernal chakra?!'_ – next to the gaki's downed Uchiha teammate. Across from them was the bloody mangled form of-

Zabuza's breath hitched.

'_Haku.'_

As Zabuza made his way to what little remained of his once-apprentice, Kakashi's pinkette genin screamed.

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><p>Haruno Sakura was sheltered, really. She had lived a quiet childhood, with no major familial deaths, no horrible fights with her parents, and no run-ins with bullies after she'd managed to get into the academy 'in-crowd'. Her mother was a chūnin-level kunoichi working in Konoha's Cipher Division, and her father retired from the shinobi trade and opened a shop after realising he may very well become a career genin at the rate he was going. She honestly wasn't overly bothered with a true career as kunoichi, much preferring the civilian lifestyle. But alas, she simply <em>had<em> to remain a kunioichi of Konohagakure, or she'd lose her shot at Sasuke-kun.

And she couldn't have that. No. Not at all.

She knew that she should have taken her training more seriously. Done more than fixate on her appearance and attractiveness, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Every time her parents suggested that she go and train, or eat more, or _do something healthier_, she had wholeheartedly refused. And it had really come back to bite her in the ass.

When she heard the rustling of chains and what suspiciously sounded like shattering glass, she was confused. What in the name of _hell_ had done that? Then, she noticed that the mist was clearing slowly and she immediately tried to see the weird dome of ice that the strange figure with the mask had made earlier. The one that Naruto had run inside without a second thought. _'Tch, moron,'_ she thought. **_'Cha, that fool is going to get in Sasuke-kun's way, Shannaro!' _**her inner-self raged.

When Sakura saw that the Ice-thingie was gone, she was about to give a shout of joy, realising her love had vanquished the faux-oinin. Alas, that was not to be.

No, instead, she saw the crumpled, bloody forms of Zabuza's subordinate, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasu-

Sakura screamed.

'_No! That's not- that's not… THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!'_ her mind bellowed, refusing to believe the sight before her was real. _'It's just a Genjutsu! That's it! Just a… just a…'_

Her inner-self was conspicuously silent.

Sakura's mind tracked back to the Academy lessons on Genjutsu. Raising her hands into a seal and not even noticing the forms of both Zabuza and Kakashi walking over to their respective students, she immediately expelled chakra from her body and shouted "KAI (Release)!" at the top of her lungs. Mentally preparing herself to see the actual goings-on beneath the illusion, Sakura was immediately confused as to why the Genjutsu had not yet lifted.

"But… but…" she stuttered aloud, unsure how to deal with this, until her mind flashed back to the lessons on Genjutsu once again, and she realised where she'd gone wrong. _'High-level Genjutsu sometimes require other stimuli to be introduced, in order for escape to be possible.'_ She remembered that lesson, and remembered what to do, extracting a kunai from her pouch and immediately stabbing it into the tip of her right index finger.

Nothing happened.

Trying again on her wrist, Sakura drove the kunai across the previously-delicate skin, trying desperately to prove that everything she was seeing was a Genjutsu. _'It's not real. It's not real. It's not real!'_ her mind repeated, a mantra that she would happily continue to her dying day. She didn't even notice Kakashi's sigh of relief as he detected a weak pulse in both Sasuke and Naruto's forms, or the flicker of grief that alit in Zabuza's eyes. She was too busy trying to prove that this wasn't real.

By the time she'd made several cuts across her wrist with a kunai in a vain effort to disprove reality, she was becoming truly desperate. When she felt a hand wrap around the wrist on her kunai-wielding hand, she looked up into the saddened eyes of their client.

The emotions dancing in Tazuna's eyes – sadness, pity, sympathy – were too much for the girl to handle, and she finally came to realise that everything she was seeing was _not_ a Genjutsu.

Genjutsu could not possibly manage to reflect the emotions in those eyes so well.

And then, with that realisation, came horror. And she screamed again, louder, and maybe, just maybe, there were some tears mixed in for _both_ of her teammates.

It was at that moment, in her grief, that Haruno Sakura stared at her bloodied wrist as she screamed, and swore to herself that she would get stronger to avenge her teammates, and never fail anyone else so significantly ever again.

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><p>When Gatō and his goons approached the bridge, they had expected any one of a number of different scenarios. Best case scenario? The ninja had all killed each other off in a single, bloody conflict and the bridge builder, who they honestly forgot the name of, was caught in the crossfire. Worst case scenario? The ninja were all still alive, still fighting and the bridge builder was unharmed. If that was so, all they had to do was run in, axes swinging, and slaughter the fools while they were unawares. Honestly, how strong could a ninja be, really?<p>

The one thing that none of their number had expected, was to see a bunch of slumped over, bloodied forms that might have been kids, and the bridge builder alongside both adult shinobi staring at afore-mentioned bodies as some small girl with pink hair screamed her head off like a banshee.

That also happened to be _exactly_ what was actually going on at the bridge.

"Oi, we got ourselves a screamer lads!" one of the more depraved individuals amongst the thugs called, and his fellows either wolf-whistled or grinned lecherously. Their actions were halted, however, when Gatō held up a hand.

As it stood, this proved to be more than enough sound to gain the attention of the shinobi present, and Gatō stepped forward to speak. Identifying the most bloodied of the three forms as that of Zabuza's subordinate, Gatō grinned and went to kick the corpse.

His leg was caught by Zabuza mid-swing.

As the slimy businessman lost his footing and fell backwards, Zabuza spoke. "What, pray tell, are you doing here, _Gatō_?" the voice of the man was sickly-sweet – or at least as sickly-sweet as the man _could_ sound, given the fact he normally spoke in a rather hoarse, grating drawl – as he applied more pressure to the ankle of his employer, thoroughly enjoying the manner in which the sleazy little man swallowed nervously.

"Hey! Unhand the boss!" one of the more stupid in the encroaching crowd of morons – for really, _who_ would take on a shinobi with civilian-level skills? – demanded as he broke into a run towards Zabuza. Before he even got close to Zabuza, he met his end via kunai to the brain, courtesy of one Hatake Kakashi.

"Truce?" the Copy-Ninja requested of his companion, silently hoping that the man had put two and two together, _looked underneath the underneath_, and seen that he was about to be double-crossed. Just as Zabuza was about to reply, a particularly over-muscled thug interrupted them.

"This isn't any of your business, Konoha-nin!" the brutish man exclaimed, not looking fazed in the slightest by the death of his 'comrade'. Kakashi doubted any of these fools even knew the dead one's name. "We're just gonna double-cross the guy and kill 'im! You can take your precious kiddies and _sod off_!" Evidently, this goon was equally as idiotic – if not more so, in fact – as the one whose body still lay between Gatō's cronies and the two shinobi.

"SHUT UP YOU FOOLS!" Gatō demanded, sweating profusely and staring up at the visage of the Kirigakure no Kijin with no small amount of fear. Zabuza put an end to that, quickly and efficiently inserting his kunai through the smaller man's jaw and pushing it upwards. As the taller ninja once again stood fully upright, Kubikiribōchō resting on his shoulder as he glared at the thugs, he released much of his remaining chakra from his body in waves, the visage of a demon appearing behind him, giving more credence to his moniker. As the thugs each took a step back in fear, Kakashi turned an eye-smile on them.

"I suppose it would be too much to ask you to simply leave?" the silver-haired nin inquired, his form appearing just as terrifying as his companion's to the cronies of the – now deceased – Gatō. When none of the thugs was forthcoming with a response, Kakashi reached his own conclusion. "Ah, that's a shame… shall we get to it, then, Zabuza-san?"

One of the few men to ever fight the Yondaime Mizukage and live turned to face the Copy Ninja of Konoha, and grinned.

And then, there was a massacre.

* * *

><p><strong>He<strong> had been ignored.

In fact, that was the very reason **he** existed. To be ignored, that is. And it hurt. Oh _Kami_, did it hurt.

**He** knew the original didn't like **him**. Wouldn't like him, and in fact the other didn't even know **he** existed. **He** was the _real_ them! The other was an imposter, just a weak mask that didn't show what was hidden deep inside.

**He** was born to protect them both, and to protect the world. To protect everything from **himself. **The irony was not lost on** him**; that was for sure.

But, even though **he** resented it – which **he** could do nothing but, considering **he** was a being made of such vile, dark emotions, and nothing more – **he** did **his **appointed job dutifully, as had been instructed to **him**. Not willingly, of course. No, never willingly. But damn, their stubbornness gave birth to **him**, to hide all that negativity away!

Oh, and there was _so much_ negativity! Leading the life that they had, the life that **he** protected them from! **He** had done all the hard work, guiding them through the tough times.

**He** wanted nothing more than to talk to the other. For **his** existence to be acknowledged – _'Irony, again,'_ **he** idly mused – but the other just would not give into the darkness, not even for a moment! _'Why won't you accept me?'_ **his** mind demanded, _'Acknowledge the demon of your own creation!'_

**He** knew the one within favoured **him**, rather than the original. Maybe the creature empathised with **him**? To be sequestered away, against your will, to protect the world? Who knew, really?

Then, **he** felt it. An opening in the defences that were constructed so painstakingly by the other for so long, until finally, at last, they gave birth to **him**. The other was breaking. His mind, riddled with negative emotions, was allowing **him** access for the first time in _so long_. And **he** yearned for the feel of the real world.

**He** would force the other to acknowledge **him**. Of course, **he** ran the risk of the other oppressing **him** again, and forgetting **him**, but **he** doubted it. The other would be haunted. Maybe the other would accept **him**. Maybe, finally, they could become one, once again, and protect each other as the same individual, forever.

As was **his** duty, **he** remembered. To _protect_ the original. And **he** would always do so. Always. Without fail. Or **his** name wasn't-

Aha! The opening **he** felt. There it was.

And in that moment, when the original's mind was already so broken and confused, his body so damaged due to the machinations of the one within, did both other and **him** combine.

* * *

><p>Within the <span>Hakke no Fūin Shiki<span>, the Kyūbi chuckled darkly, and grinned. Not a friendly grin, but rather, a self-satisfied one, promising pain and vengeance.

**_'At least one thing went completely according to plan.'_**

* * *

><p><strong>Hello!<strong>

**Now, while Naruto is powerful, and possesses two kekkei genkai - Sharingan and the Chakra Chains - he will be _developing_. In fact, if anything, Naruto after this will be _weaker_. Not for long, but for a bit, at least. For those wondering what will be going on with the Kyūbi's influence, the extent of the machinations of everyone's favourite fox will be revealed fairly quickly. Its motivations are also fairly obvious, but will be elaborated on for clarity in the next chapter or so.**

**Now, since I know this can be a major sticking point for some people - yes, Minato will be half-Senju, but not descended from Hashirama or Tobirama.**

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><p><strong>In the way of <span>WARNINGS:<span>**

**1. There will be OCs. The size of this project makes this an inevitability. Especially in the other villages.**

**2. Excessive Character Death. This is a fanfiction about ninja - death is a fact. I have literal pages of established deaths. You have been warned.**

**3. LONG. I currently have around 30 Arcs for this story. Some will be long, some will be short, some will be fun and some will be sad. You have been warned.**

**- NOTE: The 'War' Arc is the longest of them all, with a total (currently) 35 planned Side-Arcs within it, each for a separate conflict.**

**4. Additional Villains. One of them is entirely new, and the other three are a game-only villain, a movie-only villain and a character from the Canon that doesn't get much time, who will be expanded dramatically. Additionally, several characters that weren't villains in Canon will now be against the protagonists, for their own reasons. I do intend to flesh them out, and already have back stories written out, so worry not.**

**5. OOC. Naruto will be a mix of himself and... something else. So he's a little different. It's _development_, not _modification_. Bear that in mind. Regardless though, anyone who convinces themselves that characters in a fanfic such as this are purely in-character is lying. Naruto also isn't the only one. Most characters will go through character changes, be they major or minor, and this will likely include characters you don't like.**

**6. Fanon Tropes. Mostly modified to have their own, unique twist. You would not _believe_ how much of what I once considered Canon is actually Fanon! Ridiculous!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Pairings:<span>**

**Naruto is paired with Ino. (NOTE: I'm not pairing Naruto with Canon!Ino, I'm pairing him with Inheritance!Ino - a fierce, powerful kunoichi who will be near to, if not on, the same level as Naruto. How will that happen? You'll have to read on to see).**

**There are also many other pairings - feel free to drop a review/PM to ask who is with who. Although, I will say now - I have every pairing planned out, and they are FINAL.** **Amongst these are both historical and modern pairings, and several shōnen-ai and shōjo-ai side-pairings. The former is more present than the latter, primarily due to the fact that those characters are part of the major supporting cast. 'Cause really, what universe is composed entirely of heterosexuals? Certainly not ours! :P Also, one threesome. Just one, and it's kind of only for laughs. :/**

**NOTE: I'm not going to write Lemons. Why? 'Cause I'm no good at them, and they're technically against the rules anyway. So YES, the 'M' rating is for dark themes, not other stuffs.**

* * *

><p><strong>(1) The longer version of the name for ANBU Black Ops. <em>ANBU<em> translates to _Dark Side_.**

**(2) Naruto's Mangekyō is effectively a well-detailed, curvier version of the brace symbol (READ: '}' ) on your keyboard, with three of such symbols inter-spaced equally around the iris. It's a black-on-red design, unlike Sasuke's. **

**On the matter of the whole 'Kushina is an S-Rank ninja' thing, the full explanation can be found on my profile. Needless to say, I stand by my choice, and I hope you understand my reasoning.**

'**Till next time! ****J**


	2. Glimpses of the Past

**INHERITANCE, a Naruto fanfiction**

**AU. Naruto's reality is tipped on its head when the mission to Nami no Kuni goes awry. With a set of fresh, untempered skills and a thousand scattered glimpses into tragedies past, is it any wonder he's struggling to remember how to live? (And if he never does... Well, who needed hope anyway?)**

* * *

><p><strong>"FALLOUT" - INHERITANCE ARC #1<strong>

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**If you're a new reader, ignore this A/N and keep on reading. If you've been around for a while, you may spot the changes. I've edited the old chapters and condensed what _was_ 6 chapters (+ Prologue) into 3 (+ Prologue, + Interlude), each around 10-13k words in length. So, if you struggled with the flow of my writing before, try starting from here and reading on as a rehash. Hopefully, it's improved. Flashbacks have also been toned down, and will be largely kept to within a chapter or two of their relevance.**

**If you found my writing style easy to read before, go to Chapter 4: Of Training and Missions, 'cause that's where the new content starts.**

**If you want to leave a review (which is greatly appreciated!), and you've left one already, you'll find you can't post a new one on that same chapter (which, as the same number, it'll count as). SO. Please leave an anonymous review w/ your full account name on the chapter of your choosing. Apologies for any inconvenience.**

**Happy reading!**

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><p>If Naruto was asked to describe his current situation, he supposed he would call it 'drifting'.<p>

Yeah, 'drifting' works.

The world was spinning, and an intricate web of colourful scenes was flashing through his mind. Not all of these experiences – for he could identify them as memories – were his own, but he recalled them all regardless, which was strange. He was seeing all these things from either his own viewpoint, or that of two others. As they flashed through his mind's eye, they burnt themselves within his memory and a new scene played itself out. His mind was spinning and hurting, and his whole existence seemed like it was being rewritten. He couldn't comprehend why this was happening, but he hoped that the recollections of the two 'others' may provide some answers as to what was happening to him.

One of them was a stern red-haired woman with deep, black eyes that was utterly dedicated to her family and her profession. She'd been through more than her fair share of hardships, and had lived a long life. She had a slender face and figure, and often wore her hair in two buns at diagonal angles atop her head, while her preferred fashion was a formal white kimono with a dark-green obi around her waist. She even wore this gear to battle, and was a master of some strange ninja fighting style using symbols. The woman was apparently a 'Fūinjutsu Master', whatever that was.

Her name was Uzumaki Mito.

The other was a young girl with the same fiery red hair alongside violet coloured eyes, but whereas the previous was stern and tempered with maturity, this one was loud, brash, and quick to anger. Regardless, she was notably insecure about her appearance, which Naruto couldn't understand, since he found the red-hair the two women shared to be incredibly beautiful. She also had an alarming addiction to Ramen, much like himself. The similarities between the girl and himself were startling, and he idly wondered how close of a relation she was.

After all, her name was Uzumaki Kushina.

As the flashes of memories passed – and really, it felt agonisingly slow to him – Naruto began to put a few things together. For one, the girl had met the woman when the latter was very old, and her life was ending. He'd lived through that memory on the elder woman's side, and he felt that the woman was feeling a deep sense of regret and sadness as she beheld the small child. They both came from a place called Uzushiogakure, the home of the Uzumaki Clan.

Uzumaki _Clan_.

Yeah, Naruto had needed a moment when he discovered _that_ little fact.

Naruto kept watching the memory from the old woman's perspective, until he picked up on a fact that stopped him dead.

Vessels.

Vessels for the Kyūbi.

These… were his… predecessors…

Beyond his shock and confusion, Naruto vaguely recognised the fact that he had no knowledge of what 'predecessors' meant until now.

'_Huh… weird…'_

* * *

><p>Kakashi carried Naruto towards the hospital at a fast pace, studiously ignoring the glares the villagers directed at his unwell charge. Naruto had fallen into a coma after the battle in Nami no Kuni {Land of Waves}, developing a high-fever and convulsing at irregular intervals. Kushina had told Kakashi, before, that the process for awaking the <span>Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains)<span> was rarely kind, but this was…

It seemed appropriate, albeit shocking, that both Sakura and Sasuke had displayed an unprecedented level of concern for their teammate's condition. Although, truly, it was rather understandable. Kakashi wasn't by any means a chakra sensor, but he could definitely feel the wild fluctuations that Naruto's chakra network was experiencing, and it was likely the other two genin could as well. If the levels of chakra the boy was expelling – whilst _unconscious_ – happened to be any indication, the young jinchūriki's reserves were_ growing_. At quite the astonishing rate, actually. Faster than could possibly be healthy.

So Kakashi had dropped everything they were doing after the battle, informing Tazuna that they needed to head back to Konoha immediately. They'd been sent out of the village with their client's blessing.

Unfortunately, Naruto's condition had deteriorated when he was moved, and it had been all Kakashi could do not to simply ditch his other genin and run straight to the village with all the speed he could muster. Regardless, they'd still made the distance in two days. The blond had yet to emerge from his coma, and his convulsions made traveling rather difficult, but they'd managed. Both Sakura and Sasuke had been largely silent throughout the trip, barring a few concerned inquiries on behalf of their teammate's health. Sasuke especially had been more persistent than normal, but that was logical considering the circumstances.

Sasuke had told Kakashi the whole deal – Sharingan and all – and the Copy-nin would have likely been much more interested in the matter if he hadn't been preoccupied with his student's rapidly declining health.

Entering into Konoha Hospital, Kakashi immediately headed to the reception desk. "I'm told that one of the gate guards called ahead and made you aware of the situation?" he questioned, and never before had Kakashi been so _glad_ that Konoha's medics are invariably dedicated to their patients' well-being, above all else, because if he'd had to deal with a hateful, bigoted villager right now he sincerely doubted his ability to restrain himself.

Instead, the receptionist merely nodded, batting not even an eyelash at the identity of the wounded shinobi in question, and immediately directed him to place the blond on a nearby gurney. Doctors immediately assailed the Copy-nin and demanded answers from Kakashi about the situation that placed his genin in such a precarious situation, reports on whether or not his state had deteriorated or improved, along with probing for any theories as to how this came to pass. Begrudgingly, Kakashi admitted to his concerns that the Kyūbi is the mastermind behind this, and gave an outline of events surrounding the manner in which Naruto was left in such a condition, but left out the emergence of the two kekkei genkai, as the Hokage would surely make such things classified. The other Doctors seemed to pick up on this - after all, despite being medics, they were first and foremost shinobi - but did not question it, knowing that the care of Uzumaki Naruto was invariably left to the Head-Medic and Hokage, at the end of the day.

Receiving memories of his Kage Bunshin – created to deal with the gate guards and debrief the Hokage – dispersing after meeting the Hokage, Kakashi simply sat down and waited for the Sandaime's arrival.

* * *

><p><strong>Several Minutes Prior:<strong>

The Sensei-Bunshin led Sakura and Sasuke to the Hokage's Tower, immediately bypassing the Mission Assignment Office, to Sakura's confusion. As the Bunshin spoke to the Hokage's secretary, Sakura realised it was due to the increased ranking of the mission. And really, completing an _A-Ranked mission_ was _not_ what she had expected when she left the village two weeks ago - but she was content regardless. Sure, Sasuke-kun was wounded, and Naruto was currently fighting for his life - and she definitely did not expect to care so much about that, yet she did - but they survived, and completed a mission so far beyond their skills, and they _survived_, and Sakura could hardly believe it.

But she still felt the determination settled in her gut, the steel in her mind as she mentally prepared herself to demand more training from their sensei, because she felt so _useless_ on that bridge, and she refused to ever feel that way again, not when it could be avoided. Not when she could do something about it. And by the determination shining in Sasuke's eyes, she thought he had reached the same conclusion.

Being ushered into the Hokage's Office, Sakura immediately brought herself to attention, bowing to the Hokage and then raising her head to stare at the wall behind the aging Sandaime, and the window that overlooks all of Konoha.

"Report," the Hokage said, his voice serious and oh-so-slightly cautious, and suddenly she recalled how close Naruto was to the Sandaime, and that they just seemingly returned from a mission without him.

Kakashi did as instructed, outlining the major details of their numerous encounters with Kirigakure nukenin promptly, succinctly, and leaving out most details, likely to be left to the mission report. When he got to the battle at the bridge, and the defeat of the Ice-using shinobi, however, he paused. "Hokage-sama, I believe it may be best if my genin are not present for the rest of the briefing, as there are some... _extraneous _circumstances involved."

Sakura finally looked away from the wall, breaking protocol to stare at their sensei questioningly. Sasuke seemed rather put out, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, the Sandaime nodded and asked them to leave. Before they could do so, however, Kakashi recalled their attention to him. "You are not to speak of what you saw during the confrontation on the bridge to _anyone_, do you understand? Once I speak to Hokage-sama, this will likely become an S-Rank secret. _Nobody_ can know, unless the Sandaime himself gives you explicit permission to tell them, understood?" their sensei stared them dead in the eye, his countenance surprisingly serious, and Sakura couldn't help but nod, vaguely acknowledging Sasuke doing likewise beside her. Turning around, she opened the door and left, not even bothering to ask Sasuke-kun out on a date. She had too much on her mind.

Like training.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Hatake Kakashi with tired eyes, even as he performed a simple hand-seal and activated the silencing seals around the room, placed by Uzumaki Mito and attuned only to the Hokage himself. Their nature made it entirely impossible for any method of spying or recording to work in this office, all at the Hokage's order.<p>

Across from him, the son of the White Fang sighed and dropped into the chair, all strength seemingly leaving him. Now that the two genin were gone, the Sandaime was able to ask the question that had remained on his mind since Team 7's arrival to his office. "Kakashi-kun, where is Naruto-kun?" he asked simply, but the sheer myriad of emotions hidden within those few words was enough to startle him. _Him_, the _Shinobi no Kami _{God of Shinobi}! He knew that he shouldn't care so much, couldn't afford to, truly, because his position as Hokage was supposed to deny him such frivolities, but he could not suppress the unadulterated need he felt to know the state of his surrogate grandson. The boy was much like his parents - cheerful, quick to learn (even if it went unnoticed by most, he was not known as 'The Professor' for nothing), and highly charismatic. And Hiruzen had high hopes for him.

"In the Hospital," the jōnin explained, and the Sandaime's stomach dropped. "I'm just a Bunshin - the original is with him," he added, needlessly, since Hiruzen had long since noted that the man's chakra reserve had been cleanly halved, in such a manner as was indicative of Kage Bunshin usage.

Hiruzen grimaced despite himself. "How bad?" he asked, and felt dread pool in his gut as the masked-nin's expression darkened into a glower.

"He's in a coma and his chakra is fluctuating like nothing on earth," Kakashi began, then steeled himself and continued, "His chakra reserves have doubled since it happened, and it's not showing signs of slowing. In fact, if anything, it seems to be _gaining_ speed." The Sandaime frowned, because Uzumaki had naturally large reserves, and Naruto had inherited at least a fraction of his mother's special chakra. For his reserves to be doubled already indicated that he was already approaching Kage-level reserves, and that would open a whole new can of worms. But before Sarutobi could open his mouth to question him, Kakashi said ten words that shocked him to his core. "He also awoke the Sharingan, and Kongō Fūsa."

Hiruzen choked on his pipe.

The Kongō Fūsa was perhaps the rarest bloodline in the shinobi nations, barring the Mokuton (Wood Release) and _perhaps_ the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse), the latter of which behaved in much the same way as the legendary Uzumaki bloodline. It had only been seen in two separate users by the same person once in recent history - Uzumaki Mito, who had met both her Grandfather, and his successor to the gene, Uzumaki Kushina, although only just barely for the latter. Hiruzen had always felt that something was wrong there, since the Kongō Fūsa gene _invariably_ passed through direct familial descent, meaning the user before Kushina had been one of her forebears. Yet Kushina's mother had been born to an Uzumaki mother and a male of the Kaze no Kuni {Land of Wind} deserts, her matrilineal ancestry traceable for about a century. Her father, however, had emerged at seemingly random, a red-haired baby being deposited in front of one of the Uzumaki Clan's fortresses during the Clan Wars, about eight years before their end, and mere months after the birth of Hiruzen himself. He was left with merely a note, naming him Uzumaki Atsushi, with instructions to treat him well. **(1)**

Sarutobi had thought the Kongō Fūsa – referred to by some as simply the Kusari – to have finally died off, since he had seen Kushina manifest the chains after Naruto's conception, and even after the birth, and the user invariably lost the ability once the child who would pass the gene along was conceived. It was a strange bloodline, only emerging when unknown conditions were met in the genes and chakra of the carrier, and he knew that past attempts to draw it out had failed. His former student, Orochimaru, had been especially obsessed with the bloodline, and had - in one of his few sanctioned experiments, and with Kushina's grudging permission - studied her blood extensively in an attempt to replicate the ability. All he had been able to ascertain was that the Uzumaki's special chakra was necessary to its development, and since none of those were around at the time bar Kushina herself, the project had been scrapped.

And the Sharingan...

_'So the seal failed...'_ he thought, and couldn't find it within himself to be surprised. _'After all, while talented, Jiraiya-kun is nowhere near Mito-sama's level.'_ Oh, in some ways he had expected it, but he had secretly hoped it would not happen, since it would cause far too many problems. Especially since the Uchiha had been nearly wiped out since the seal was placed. It wasn't likely that Naruto would even be capable of passing on the Sharingan anyway, given his potent Uzumaki Chakra.

The Uzumaki Clan's special chakra was effectively a bloodline of its own, and normally it prevented the emergence of other bloodlines within clan members after a few generations had passed. Some few examples to the contrary were present, but highly rare. The placement of a seal to prevent Naruto awakening the Sharingan had been considered almost unnecessary, but it appeared to have had no effect.

A sliver of anxiety struck Hiruzen. The emergence of two of the three kekkei genkai known to man that could suppress a bijū in a single boy, at the same time, was unheard of. It was also terrifying. And he remembered all too well the ANBU guards he'd needed to protect Kushina from those few factions aware of her existence. In the end, he'd been forced to draft the Uzumaki herself into ANBU just to attempt to offset the incursions. He didn't want that for Naruto.

Sarutobi sighed. "I am sure you have questions Kakashi-kun, and I have some answers to provide you, but first, I must know... what happened? How did this eventuate? Did the Yondaime's seal..." Hiruzen gulped suddenly, feeling every bit his age as he stared hard at his successor's student. "Did the Kyūbi escape?"

Kakashi ran a hand through his spiky hair, his single visible eye unseeing as he looked out the window behind the aging Sandaime. "I honestly have no idea," he said at length, and that worried Hiruzen more than he would admit. "I felt its chakra for a moment, but it receded. If my timeline of events is correct, this happened after Naruto's Sharingan awakening, and prior to his unleashing the Kusari."

The Professor rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, before snapping his gaze back to the shinobi in front of him. "I will have the seal checked. I would assume Naruto-kun called on the chakra sub-consciously, and the bijū responded in a bid for freedom, but the seal prevented its full release. Regardless, I shall arrange to have the seal reviewed and, if possible, tightened. Disperse yourself. I shall join your original in the Hospital shortly." Sighing again, the Sandaime watched as the Kage Bunshin nodded and dispersed, before writing out a quick note. Biting his thumb, he summoned one of the younger of his Monkey summons, a messenger, to his side.

"Get me Jiraiya," he said, handing it the note, and grimaced as the small monkey chittered, and embarked to complete his request.

* * *

><p>Two figures sat in a seemingly empty place. The 'place' - for it could really only be described as such, and little else - was simply bright white and seemed to stretch on forever. Of the figures, they both appeared to be around to same age, yet one was in fact slightly older, and the other slightly younger.<p>

"Are you sure we made the right decision, Onii-sama?" the younger questioned, gazing at his counterpart questioningly. The figure turned, and regarded its younger sibling solemnly, before nodding.

"Yes. It is the only hope for the scenario I foresaw. No other alternative allowed for such a desirable outcome. Although..." the figure trailed off uncertainly, his unique eyes glazed over for a moment before snapping back to the present. Eventually, he sighed. "I must confess, much is risked. So many possible divergences..."

"Then why?" the younger demanded angrily, despite himself. He was not usually quick to anger, but after so long, to think that such a thing was possible... "Why not continue the cycle as normal? Is entrusting it all to a single soul more desirable?

"Yes, it is," the elder insisted, after a scant moment of consideration. "Even more potential for divergence is permitted otherwise, and this way, all potential threats are dealt with, if the child can truly pull this off." His words caused the younger brother's eyes to widen.

"Tru-truly?" he whispered in shock. He couldn't have even _imagined_ such a desirable outcome could actually eventuate...

Sure, he'd had his hopes, but still. To have them _confirmed_...

The elder nodded once more, his tone bespeaking his certainty. "Yes, but he will face much hardship on the road ahead. Not the least of which being the constant conflict his ideals will encounter, both from without and within."

The other hummed in thought for a moment, before asking another question. "Was it truly necessary to drag out so much latent talent? Surely having so much power will make him more predisposed towards…" he trailed off as his elder sibling shook his head in the negative.

"In fact, it was more likely to end poorly if less was drawn out. He _needs_ them _both_ to respect him for this to work, and such inherent talent was a necessary step in that. It will not sabotage his relationship with either of them, although the damage of being forced to wait this long has done that for us. Besides," the figure continued, and grimaced, "he will need every ounce of power he can get his hands on, to face the trials ahead."

* * *

><p>Naruto experienced another memory from Kushina's perspective.<p>

The redhead walked slowly, determinedly, towards the Konoha ambassador's home. She was not blind - she had _seen_ the effect the man had on Aiko-oba {Aunt Aiko} - and thus it was time for her to set things straight. Sooner, rather than later. Hopefully, her target would be present and available, and hadn't left Uzushio to return to his home yet, otherwise Kushina's damage control may very well be for naught, and it would be too late.

Her oba-chan {Aunty} was pregnant, and her evil, stupid boyfriend had done something to upset her. Didn't he see that she was in pain? Suffering? Carrying _his child_? Carrying Kushina's cousin, and the young girl refused to allow that man to hurt her beloved Aiko-oba any longer.

So what if she was only five years old? She would be six in a few months, and this was her oba-chan in question. Kushina would be damned if she let this man not do what he was supposed to. Her oba-chan was only seventeen! She was going to be a kaa-chan at seventeen, and it was all that man's fault!

Approaching the door to the ambassador's home, where the man was staying while in Uzushio, she knocked once on the door, knowing that the only person who could be home would be her oba-chan's boyfriend. After all, the ambassador was currently out of the village, and Aiko was at Kushina's parents' house right now, crying into her sister-in-law's shoulder. So it was up to Kushina to fix this.

Kushina looked up as the man opened the door. "Kushina-chan! How can I help you this fine day?" the figure exclaimed jovially, grinning down at the girl.

"If you make Aiko-oba cry again, I'll force-feed you your toes," the almost-six-year-old said calmly, and immediately turned around and left. Behind her, a thoroughly bewildered - and slightly terrified - Jiraiya stared at her retreating form as he stood in the now-open doorway, slack-jawed.

* * *

><p>Kakashi stood and kneeled before the Sandaime as the man entered the corridor outside Naruto's room, only rising once his Hokage ordered him to do so. "So, how is he, Kakashi-kun?"<p>

Kakashi grimaced, but spoke regardless. "The Head-Medic is in with him now. He's awaiting your arrival, Hokage-sama."

The Sandaime hummed, moving towards the door before turning back to his immobile subordinate. "Well then, come along Kakashi-kun. We can't keep the Doctor waiting," he said, ignoring the shocked Copy-nin behind him. After all, the Sandaime was _notorious_ for not permitting _anyone_ to enter Naruto's room in the hospital, even those close to the village's pariah. Sure, Kakashi was his sensei, but still...

The Yondaime's final remaining student followed his leader obediently, entering the hospital room currently belonging to his sensei's son. _'Oh God,'_ he thought, deep self-loathing making itself known as it coiled its barbed tail around his heart. _'I have failed sensei and his son so badly... we all have.'_

He should have been stronger. He should have found the necessary willpower to take Naruto in, when even the child's own godfather was too cowardly to do so. _'How hypocritical!'_ he inwardly mocked. _'That is the exact same problem I had. Although, it's not like either of us would make decent role models. Still, better a bad one than none at all, right?'_

"So, Koyanagi-san?" the Hokage questioned, and Kakashi immediately pulled his attention back to the present. "What is wrong with Naruto-kun?"

Koyanagi Akira was a tall, grey-haired and green-eyed man in his late 60s. He had been a student in the class after the Sandaime in the Konoha Shinobi Academy, graduating as the Rookie of the Year. He had been drafted by Tsunade's mother, the then-Head of Konoha Hospital, almost immediately, demonstrating a proclivity towards the medical field. He had quickly risen as Senju Chikako's apprentice, achieving the rank of chūnin in his first attempt one year later, and being promoted to Tokubetsu Jōnin within two years of that. After that, he had never bothered with his other skills, instead refining his iryō-ninjutsu to incredible levels. In turn, he had taught only two students - Yakushi Nonō, a young prodigy in medical ninjutsu and intelligence gathering, who was taken in by ANBU at a young age, and Senju Tsunade herself. Of course, the latter was often busy with her team when she was younger, but she made time to learn all she could from her late mother's only student. In time, Tsunade had taken Akira's prodigious skills and evolved them to an unsurpassed level, earning her the title of most powerful Medic-Nin in history.

During the Second War, when Tsunade had tried to change the system and include Medics on every team, Akira had been one of her primary supporters. Even his word did not equal to that of the Hokage, however, and he had been among those mourning the loss - past, present, and future - of life resulting from the decision. A degree of tension had existed between Koyanagi and Sarutobi ever since, but neither attempted to repair it, despite the relatively close friendship the two had shared in the past.

He was also one of the few people in the village to be aware of Naruto's parentage, and the identities of the previous two Kyūbi jinchūriki.

The aged Doctor sighed, and turned his attention to his once-friend. "Not well, Hokage-sama. From what I can ascertain, Naruto-kun's very _genetic makeup_ is undergoing intense change, being transformed into something else. At first, I had thought it was the Kyūbi attempting to change his body into... well, something of a more desirable vessel," the man admitted sheepishly, shrugging slightly and seeming quite embarrassed at making such a negative assumption, but continued on regardless. "As I have reviewed it, however, I have made several... _intriguing_ discoveries!" the man stopped speaking abruptly, turning to the bed and its occupant, gazing at Naruto in undisguised fascination. He seemed to forget their presence for a moment, and only Kakashi clearing his throat brought the man's attention back to the other two men.

"Well, Koyanagi-san?" the Sandaime questioned, and if Kakashi had been any less of a shinobi, he may not have noticed the minute tenseness to the man's body. As if waiting for a trap laid by the enemy to spring.

How intriguing...

"Ah! Of course," yet again, the kind elderly gentleman seemed terribly embarrassed, but Kakashi got the feeling he wasn't quite as self-conscious as he let on. The man drew in a deep breath, before releasing it all in a sudden exhalation/exclamation of "I believe the Kyūbi has drawn out Naruto-kun's latent abilities! In effect, the bijū has drawn out the kekkei genkai present within about three generations of Naruto-kun's ancestry!"

For the second time that day, the Sandaime choked on his pipe. Meanwhile, Kakashi choked on what little air he could get into his lungs.

* * *

><p>Suddenly, the visions changed.<p>

Instead of random memories from his two predecessors, Naruto was thrust into one of his own.

It was one of the nastier experiences he had encountered as a child. He was generally despised for his role as Kyūbi jinchūriki - and there was _another_ word he didn't remember learning - but the populous was more spiteful and neglectful than outright violent. There had, however, been a few exceptions. This memory was of one of those.

His younger form cried softly, clinging to the swing he sat upon as he watched the happy families passing by. Looking back, Naruto did not remember feeling this saddened by this, nor this _angry_. Not outwardly, but inwardly. _Angry_ and _hateful_ and _'Why won't you acknowledge me?'_ with maybe a little _'I'll show you!'_ mixed in.

He didn't remember feeling this at all.

And yet, he did.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over his six-year-old form, and Naruto looked up into glazed, manic red eyes.

"Ah, the demon!" the man - looking to be about eighteen years old with short, straight black hair - exclaimed, even as he grabbed hold of a retreating Naruto's wrist. Naruto's mind chanted a mantra, well-used and oft-repeated.

_'I am not a demon. I am not a demon. Hokage-jiji would tell me if I was a demon. I am not a demon.'_

"Now now, not so fast little demon. You see, you killed my father. He was a great man. Yūhi Shinku **(2)**," the man slurred his speech slightly, and Naruto wrinkled his nose at the smell of cheap alcohol, much like the stuff the Orphanage Matron drank often. And by 'often', he meant 'whenever the Hokage wasn't coming by to visit'. He knew not to mention it, 'cause last time, he'd gotten a beating for being a tattle. He didn't enjoy it.

It was rather telling that Naruto was used to this by now, and that he didn't seem shocked that he had apparently murdered someone. Instead, he repeated his mantra in his head over and over again, begging the man to go away. Instead the man chuckled, and tightened his grip.

"I'm gonna make you scream, little fox. Just like _he_ did as you _killed_ him!" the man screamed, taking a kunai out of seemingly nowhere and embedding it up to the hilt in Naruto's stomach.

Finally, Naruto's mantra broke, and he screamed, vaguely recognising the sound of the man's insane laughter as he removed the kunai and made another slash.

Naruto remembered this. Finally, finally it made sense. But the emotions didn't. Hatred, rage, agony, disgust, unadulterated _anger_. He had never known he could hate so strongly.

Suddenly, he was dropped, but didn't meet the pain of the harsh ground, as his muddled mind expected. Instead, he was held against what felt like a body of someone at least several years older than he was. He remembered this, too.

He could make little out of the older figure, other than his glowing red, three-tomoe eyes.

* * *

><p>"Wha... what?" Hiruzen questioned softly, hardly believing his ears.<p>

Drawing out latent kekkei genkai was not an entirely new concept. Orochimaru's research into the Kongō Fūsa was just one of the many attempts in his long history of attempted bloodline-replication. It wasn't really necessary, since most kekkei genkai users passed the gene along to their child with little trouble - after all, chakra had a tendency to draw out latent abilities on its own, to strengthen its user - but within the Uzumaki, things were different.

Orochimaru had been especially interested in the Uzumaki vitality. It was, after all, incredibly strong and unique. He had studied the ability, attempting to draw out latent kekkei genkai from within the DNA - and at the time, Sarutobi had believed that it was because Orochimaru wanted what was best for the village, and a more powerful Kushina certainly didn't hurt it - but had achieved no results. The chakra was just too unique.

So, for this to happen, was...

"How?" Kakashi muttered beside him, his tone incredulous. The Head-Medic seemed to ponder the question a moment, before sighing.

"I honestly have no idea, Kakashi-kun. All I can assume is that the Kyūbi had something to do with it. The seal does seem to be less powerful than when I last saw-" the man was suddenly cut off as the Sandaime rushed past him, raising the hem of the blond's jumpsuit jacket and staring at the seal.

The _visible_ seal.

The visible seal which was only supposed to appear when Naruto was channelling the Kyūbi's chakra.

_'Oh. Shit.'_

Kakashi paled considerably, as did his superior, while Koyanagi seemed nonplussed. "Is this bad, Hokage-sama?" the man questioned, and both men came within millimetres of faceplanting.

"YES, it IS!" Kakashi exclaimed. "This means the Kyūbi's chakra is being actively channelled!"

"Ohh..." the green-eyed man trailed off thoughtfully, before snapping his fingers in sudden epiphany. "That explains the traces of bijū chakra in his system!"

_'Why did I associate with this man, in the past?'_ Sarutobi pondered in disbelief. Perhaps time had addled his once-friend's brain.

"Koyanagi-san, while that is a logical conclusion, I must admit it doesn't completely explain the situation," Hiruzen interjected smoothly. "Naruto-kun awakened the Kusari, which Kushina had not passed on, as per that particular gene's nature, at the time."

Akira hummed thoughtfully, before nodding. "Normally, that would indicate a flaw in my hypothesis," he agreed. "However, as you know, I treated both Kushina and Mito-sama, when the latter was in her final years. And I am detecting substantial amounts of both of their chakra signatures within Naruto's own, seemingly blending with it." Kakashi still seemed confused at the information, but the Sandaime's eyes widened in realisation.

Inwardly, Hiruzen was berating himself for not noticing it sooner. He had been very close to both Mito _and_ Kushina, and now that he thought about it, he could detect trace amounts of both of their chakra in amongst Naruto's. Although it wasn't quite the same, indicating that the three were combining to create an entirely new chakra-signature, alongside the bloodline-chakra now possessed by Naruto. It still didn't explain the _how_, though.

"Which brings me to my next item of importance..." the man continued.

"Hokage-sama... I believe Naruto-kun is descended from Mito-sama, _directly_."

* * *

><p>Naruto was experiencing one of the elder woman's memories, from a different time period this time. At this stage, she was still young and youthful, looking to be a few years older than he was. She was also scowling.<p>

"Mito-chan," the man in front of him-her spoke softly. "I know you dislike this, but our alliance with the Senju has been destabilising recently. We've crossed a few boundaries they think their 'sibling' clan should not cross, and we need to reassure them. The boy is very nice, from what I've seen, and is the current Clan-Head's eldest nephew."

Naruto-Mito glared at the man, but nodded stiffly, turning to the other occupant of the room. "Did you also agree to this, _Otou-sama_?" she bit out coldly, a nasty bite to her words that left Naruto shivering. Damn, this lady was intimidating, even when he _was_ her! Not allowing the man to speak, she turned back to the eldest and continued, fuming. "The disrespect! To expect the Clan Heir's eldest to marry into a... a... _side-family!_ I don't understand why you abide this disrespect, Ojii-sama."

The eldest man sighed again, and turned his gaze to his son, who answered for him. "Mito," her father answered, and her head swivelled to meet his gaze evenly, well-repressed bitter, bitter anger and hatred churning in her gut. "We have already crossed too many boundaries. While the Uzumaki are powerful, we are not on the level of the Uchiha or Senju. Our fūinjutsu and kenjutsu may be formidable, and our numbers great, but we have never been strong users of ninjutsu or genjutsu, like our sister-Clan. We _need_ this alliance, and this is one of the terms they demanded."

"Hmph. Why not simply secede from the Clan Wars altogether? Oh don't give me _that_ look," she added when her father stared at her incredulously. "All of us here know that the idea has crossed both of your minds in the past, more than once! We do no good fighting in this conflict!"

The man nodded, humming thoughtfully. "Perhaps so, but we cannot run. To do so is not the Uzumaki way, especially when our family and honour is on the line. Besides," he added, his voice turning deathly serious. "I sincerely doubt that the Senju, or Uchiha for that matter, would stand idly by and allow us to leave this conflict. The Senju need the allies, and we have killed too many Uchiha over the centuries for them to simply allow bygones to be bygones."

"I'm afraid your father is correct, Mito," her grandfather commented. "And as your Clan Head, I am making this an order. Sadly, it is a necessity to protect the future of the Clan, even if I wish it did not come at such a cost." The elderly man's genuine sadness spoke volumes, and Mito found herself calming down. She had never been able to hold anger at her grandfather for long. He was far too kind, and she owed it to him to believe him when he said that there were no other options. "Now come!" he exclaimed, grinning. "We shall speak no more of this! I must depart for the Alliance meeting at Amaterasu no Tani {Valley of Amaterasu} on the morrow. Let us relax this evening."

* * *

><p>The Sandaime's eyes widened comically, his composure slipping in a rare moment of absolute befuddlement. Beside him, Kakashi had renewed his choking, gasping for air that just wouldn't come. And judging by the glint in the man's eyes, Akira was loving the reaction he got.<p>

Bastard.

"How..." the Shinobi no Kami trailed off in shock, finally regaining control over his mouth after much struggle. "Why would you say that, Koyanagi-san?" he struggled to maintain a level tone to his voice, withholding his own amazement at what may very well be the confirmation of his own, long-held beliefs.

He had been friends with Uzumaki Atsushi, as had his sister - to the point where she had even named her son after him, in honour of the man after his death - and both had long held the suspicion that he was descended from the Shodai's wife. The timing was suspicious: after all, it was not well-known that Hashirama-sama and Mito-sama's marriage had been loveless for many years, a political marriage to strengthen the weakening ties between the Uzumaki and Senju. The old gossips from around the Senju Clan compound had long suggested she had been having an out-of-clan affair, since she had vanished from the Clan's 'public-eye' for an exact year before returning - the precise year that Atsushi was born in, although few ever made that last connection. Adding in that Kushina had gained the Kusari, which could only indicate a direct descent from Uzumaki Hoshihiro, Mito's grandfather, and it became clear that something, somewhere along the line, had been covered up.

"Indeed, indeed!" the iryō-nin exclaimed, seemingly oblivious to the inner-thoughts of his Kage. "The integration of her chakra would not be working so well if they weren't related, even on the limited level of two shinobi of the same clan! His body is not rejecting her chakra _at all_, meaning that it likely recognises it as a 'progenitor' of sorts! Simply fascinating..." the man trailed off again, staring at Naruto in a manner that gave both shinobi the creeps.

"... and the Sharingan?" Kakashi interjected suddenly, abruptly, and the Sandaime winced. This wouldn't be a fun conversation...

"Kakashi-kun," Hiruzen began, grabbing the man's undivided attention. "You are aware of Minato-kun's birth parents, and their deaths when he was but a child?"

It was a sad tale, truly. Kazue, a woman with purple hair and cerulean blue eyes, and Satoru, a man with spiky blond hair and brown eyes, coming together and bearing a child. They had both come from tragic pasts, losing their parents at young ages, only to find each other. The whole affair was truly a tragedy, especially when Kazue and Satoru, alongside the attending hospital staff, had been murdered by a member of the Military Police, whom Minato's parents had prevented from attacking their newborn son at the cost of their lives. Sarutobi had ensured that any knowledge of who Minato's parents were had been kept from the public, out of concern that the man who killed them had done so under duress.

Receiving a nod in return, 'The Professor' continued. "What you did not know is the circumstances behind that. You see, Kazue and Satoru, Minato-kun's parents, were of the Uchiha and Senju Clans, respectively."

Kakashi stared at the 'Shinobi no Kami', dumbfounded. Even though Konoha was founded by the two clans, they had never interbred, as inter-clan relations had never improved to such an extent. "Why, Hokage-sama? I thought the Uchiha and Senju..."

Hiruzen nodded sadly, smiling wistfully at the memory of the two. "Love," he answered simply, and it was enough to explain it all. "Satoru and Kazue met as children, both taken in by a mutual family friend, Uchiha Kagami. They bonded quickly over the mutual loss of their parents at a young age, and their bond grew over time. Uchiha Kagami was, of course, Sasuke-kun's grandfather, and Obito-kun's great-uncle," he added at the end, and Kakashi remembered taking a D-rank as a genin, tending to the Uchiha man's garden. He was unfathomably kind, unlike many Uchiha, and had been assigned directly under the Nidaime in the First Shinobi World War. He also remembered now, belatedly, that Obito had introduced him as his 'Super-Awesome ōoji-chan'. Kakashi found himself feeling rather glad that the kind man had died prior to the violent massacre of his Clan, by his own grandson no less.

"So... Kazue and Satoru died because they had a half-Senju, half-Uchiha child?" Kakashi questioned, and the Sandaime nodded once more.

"Indeed," the man agreed, and sighed sadly at the memory. "It was obvious that the murderers, members of the Konoha Police Force, were under orders, even if we couldn't prove it. All I could do was fake Minato-kun's death, have Mito-sama seal away his kekkei genkai, and place him under the charge of a trustworthy shinobi with a fake last name. Otherwise, he may have been targeted again, and I would not allow another to die the same cruel, pointless death that those two suffered," the Sandaime finished, inwardly acknowledging just how bad inter-clan relations got after that. _'That was truly the beginning of the conflict between the Uchiha and the village. Much hope had been placed on Minato-kun, to be the final bridge between the two clans.'_ After all, regardless of what some people said, the division between Clans remained even today, if not to the same extent as it once did. "I would assume that Kazue is where Naruto gained his Uchiha DNA from."

"Actually, Hokage-sama that is another thing," Koyanagi added in cheerfully, and the legendary shinobi just _knew_ that whatever was about to be said would complicate things even further. He was proven correct with the Doctor's next words. "From what I have observed so far, there is too much Uchiha DNA present for Naruto to be receiving it from just Kazue and her parents. Now, since most of Naruto-kun's ancestry is known, I believe it is likely that Mito-sama's 'mystery lover' was an Uchiha."

Sarutobi gave up on smoking his pipe today. It seemed to have picked up an unhealthy attraction to the back of his throat. Sadly for Kakashi, he was merely choking on air, and it was unlikely that he could give _that_ up for a day.

"Tru-Truly? How... why?" Kakashi questioned, because he _knew_ the story of Uzumaki Mito, or Senju Mito as most knew her. The two legendary lovers, a powerful shinobi and kunoichi, both incredibly strong in their own right. But together? Rumoured to be _unbeatable_. Their love was just as legendary as the two themselves, said by some to be one of those rare bonds that would never expire. And to think that she would have a... _fling_ with a shinobi from a clan composed of her lover's greatest enemies... it seemed too ridiculous to be true.

"I can't answer that," Akira responded, seemingly put out by having to make the admission. He continued on regardless, though. "All I can speculate is that the relationship was brief, and during the time when Hashirama-sama and Mito-sama's relationship was merely an arranged marriage, and nothing more."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with that fact, while Sarutobi nodded slowly. "Thank you, Koyanagi-san. Is there anything else?" and he really hoped there _wasn't_ anything else, because he needed a break, badly.

He was rewarded by a shake of the man's head. "Not at the moment, Hokage-sama. Although, I will be honest... I am unsure of how to treat Naruto-kun. This is an unprecedented case. It may take him quite some time to wake up, if he ever does."

* * *

><p><strong>Two Days Later<strong>

Walking through one of the Desert-cities on the border of Kaze no Kuni, an exceedingly tall figure allowed his eyes to pass over the fine specimens that the community had to offer. The female form was such a beautiful thing, and he needed to gain inspiration for his next masterpiece. It was a shame he needed to speak to a contact here, since there were rarely onsens in Kaze no Kuni, meaning he would have to wait to re-affirm his claim to the illustrious title of 'Super-Pervert'.

Suddenly, a small monkey passed through his field of vision, and the Toad Sage grimaced.

Glaring at the offending creature, Jiraiya considered ignoring it, but thought better of it. His sensei rarely felt the need to contact his only loyal student unless the situation was truly important.

Taking the message and ignoring the creature's feeble attempts to drag him by his trousers' leg back in the direction of Konoha, he read the hastily-scrawled text. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he turned and bolted for the village of his birth, barely remembering to create a Kage-Bunshin to remain behind and speak to his contact before dispersing.

Left behind him in the dust, the small monkey summon chittered in confusion before dispersing.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Days Later (… again)<strong>

_'Jiraiya,_

_Naruto has returned from a C-Rank turned A-Rank mission. The seal has weakened, significantly, and he has fallen into a coma. More has happened, but nothing I feel comfortable relaying in a message such as this._

_Return quickly,_

_Sensei'_

As Jiraiya approached his sensei's office, he pondered those words.

He and Sarutobi had not been on good terms for over nine years - ever since Orochimaru's defection **(3)** and the final fracturing of the 'Sannin'. Technically, they had not been a team since Tsunade had finally mustered up the courage to leave in the middle of the Third Shinobi World War, abandoning her village and comrades in a long-foreseen decision, with nary a thought for those she left behind. Of course, by then they had become very dysfunctional regardless: Tsunade and her drinking, leaving the ninja force due to her hæmophobia; Orochimaru's descent into madness, not obvious at first barring his obsession with his experiments; Jiraiya's own grief over losing all of his students aside from Minato, alongside his girlfriend and unborn child; and lastly Hiruzen, and his depression and stress due to his position, with the distance between he and his family and friends making the whole situation that much worse.

Both he and his sensei blamed each other, to an extent, for the fracturing of their team, even if both knew the fault truly lay elsewhere. Both were simply too stubborn, and too proud, to admit to it first, and thus found themselves at an impasse. Perhaps if one of the other two were to return again, then they may be able to begin repairing their relationship, but as it stood it was unlikely to happen.

Hopping directly up to the windowsill in his sensei's office, Jiraiya waved lazily as he got down and walked in front of the Hokage's desk. Said man turned to the Toad Sage, eyes gazing sadly at the form of his last loyal student. And Jiraiya had never seen the Old Monkey looking so _tired_. "Sensei," he said simply, by means of introduction, as if he hadn't been absent for over _five years_ now, and he hadn't visited his godson in almost eight. The boy probably didn't even remember him, not that he'd blame him. Who would want to remember a failure like him?

"Jiraiya," the Sandaime answered back, measured and unfailingly polite, but no more than that. The rift between them denied them anything more than that. "You got my message in quite good time," the man commented idly, and Jiraiya could pick up the faint disapproval. Only _four_ days to get there, meaning he was easily found by a simply monkey summon.

A minute clenching in his jaw was the only obvious sign of discontent on the Sannin's face. "I was in the general neighbourhood, meeting with a contact," he said simply, and the oldest of the pair merely hummed thoughtfully. _'Okay, damn these games,'_ sick of skirting the issue at hand. This was _his_ godson, and even if he was much more absent than he should be, he would own up to his mistakes and face them.

For Naruto.

For Minato and Kushina.

"How bad is Naruto?" he questioned intently, staring at the man with ill-disguised concern.

"Oh," Sarutobi remarked softly, light, mocking shock colouring his tone. "Why Jiraiya-kun, I didn't know you _cared_."

Jiraiya growled lowly, glaring at the old man with all the disdain he could muster - and Kami knew there was a lot of it - as he spoke through gritted teeth. "That's a low blow, sensei, and you _know_ it."

The Hokage hummed again, before sighing. "Perhaps it was, Jiraiya-kun, perhaps it was. Allow me to fill you in on events over the last few days..."

* * *

><p>Once the Toad Sage had recomposed himself after the multiple shocks to his system, he turned his eyes to Konoha's Hospital. Without so much as a nod in farewell, the man was gone from his sensei's office. If the man had something more to speak to him about, he could tell him later.<p>

Running through the streets, not even batting an eyelid at the sign for the closest Onsen, the Yondaime's sensei rushed towards the Konoha Hospital. He had only visited his godson fleetingly since his final student's death - a result of his deep grief and self-blame, that Minato had died because of _him_, and the training _he_ gave him, that the man who was his son in all but blood was now gone - only leaving small trinkets behind, and not enough time to leave memories in the child's life. He got reports, sometimes, if incidences occurred, like that insane chūnin who had attacked Naruto in a drunken stupor when the boy was six.

The man had screamed and begged at his public execution, at the testimony to the severity of attacking Uzumaki Naruto, but Jiraiya had not regretted his actions as the man's personal executor. Not as the man begged. Not as he cried. Not as he screamed obscenities or feeble defences. The only thing Jiraiya had regretted was his foolishness in not making sure that Naruto was far, _far_ away from the execution. Far away from the gruesome sight. But regardless, the last loyal Sannin had raised his eyes from the man's corpse, to the gathered crowd, to the surrounding buildings, and horrified realisation had passed through him as he gazed into his godson's amazing, blue eyes.

And he had never even had the guts to go and comfort the child, because seeing those eyes reminded him of another pair of eyes, too-similar eyes, which had also born witness to death for the first time. And he was too _weak_ to do anything about it a second time.

Shaking the memory away, Jiraiya headed inside - using the door, since there were likely no windows in Naruto's current room, due to the severity of his case - and made his way to the reception desk. After a few quick inquiries, he was off to the blond's room, traveling the distance in a contemplative silence. About halfway there, he was met by his sensei, the man falling into step beside him with nary a glance or word. Once they entered the room, they found Kakashi sitting there, staring sadly at the young shinobi in the bed. Looking up, the man stood and prepared to bow, but a wave from Jiraiya dissuaded him. Turning to the Hokage again, Kakashi sighed. "There has been no evidence of a repeat event, Hokage-sama," the shinobi said to the Hokage, and the aged man nodded slowly, even as the Toad Sage turned his attention on the two at the question.

"'Repeat event'?" he questioned warily, and both of the other men present grimaced. "What else could have possibly happened?"

Sighing, the Sandaime turned to his student and began to recount events. "Well..."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback - Two Days Earlier<strong>

* * *

><p>Kakashi sat at his student's bedside, gazing at the young shinobi forlornly. He had failed another teammate, and now a comrade - a <em>child<em> - was suffering because of it. His _sensei's_ child, which made it all the worse.

Kakashi had never felt so much like the failure he was as he did then.

He'd spoken to Sasuke and Sakura, explaining vaguely the nature of the abilities the blond had awoken and the importance of keeping them secret. Both had readily agreed, although Sasuke was still harassing both Kakashi and the Sandaime about Naruto's parentage. All they had told the boy was that there was Uchiha DNA within three generations of the boy's ancestry, and that they would tell him when they could pinpoint it precisely. While still intensely interested - and slightly desperate for information - the Uchiha had been appeased for the time being.

Suddenly, Naruto's eyes popped open, and Kakashi jumped back in shock. The blond blinked in shock, looking around the room before zeroing in on Kakashi.

"Sakumo-kun?" the blond asked, and the Copy-nin felt his blood run cold. "What am I doing... the seal!" he suddenly exclaimed, pulling his hospital robes up from beneath the sheets with over-estimated movements. As his student did this, Kakashi sent two Kage Bunshin to alert Koyanagi-san and the Hokage. Suddenly, the blond stilled.

"WHAT?! HOW... WHY... WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" the blond screeched, staring at his body in incredulity. Turning his attention to Kakashi, he pointed accusingly at the Yondaime's last student before frowning. "Hatake-kun, you don't look well," he commented suddenly, and a fresh wave of confusion flooded through Kakashi's mind. "How did I... end up in this boy's body?"

Kakashi didn't think his blood could get any colder.

"Ky-Kyūbi?" he asked in shock, his voice soft in the otherwise dead-silent room.

The blond snorted. "Err, no. Wait, how do you know about that?! That's classified information, and..." the blond trailed off thoughtfully, staring at Kakashi strangely. "You're... not Sakumo-kun. You look similar, but... different. How?" he demanded, and Kakashi couldn't help but obey.

"Hatake Sakumo was my father," he responded, drawing up a barrier of the cold darkness where his emotions should be, to protect him from the bitter sting those words brought up. "But how would you know that, Naruto?" he commented idly, only the intensity in his single visible eye betraying his mask of indifference.

"Naru...to?" the Yondaime's son questioned slowly, blinking owlishly. "Who is Naruto?" he asked.

Kakashi's heart stuttered to a temporary halt.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and there stood the Head-Medic of the Hospital, staring at the figure on the bed strangely.

"Koyanagi-kun!" the blond exclaimed, and both Kakashi and Akira were floored. What on _Earth_? "You look so old!"

"Ano... well, I am turning sixty-eight this year, Naruto-kun..." the Doctor trailed off, raising an eyebrow at the figure on the bed. The figure huffed, glaring at the man.

"I am not this 'Naruto' person you keep calling me! Honestly, who names their kid after a Ramen topping? Sounds like something Kushina-chan would... do..." the blond trailed off thoughtfully. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "How did... what... urgh, of all the things for that _blasted fox_ to do!" he exclaimed, rage colouring his face as his voice rose higher, directionless killing intent spiking in the room. "It should know better than to mess with an Uzumaki seals-mistress!"

"Mi-Mito-sama?" the green-eyed man queried softly, disbelievingly, staring at the figure on the bed with apprehension.

Said figure allowed a sigh of gratitude to escape, turning their gaze to the man and nodding once. "Indeed. It appears that my consciousness has been placed into this boy's body by the Kyūbi... but, I must ask how this child came to be jinchūriki?" the blond asked softly, looking between the two men in confusion.

Kakashi was in shock. Was his student gone, replaced entirely by the Shodai's wife? Had he unwillingly lost his body to the Kyūbi's machinations? How could this have even happened, unless...?

"You... you're like Naruto, aren't you?" he questioned softly, incredulously, because there was _no way_ he could have possibly expected to discover something like this when he came to visit his student today. "A jinchūriki," he clarified, when the figure stared at him in confusion, and was rewarded with another nod of the head.

Just then, the Hokage entered.

"Hi-Hiruzen?" Mito-Naruto questioned incredulously, staring at the man in something akin to horror. "You're so old!" they blurted, and Kakashi couldn't help the slightly manic giggle that escaped. Even as it did so, he brutally smothered its compatriots, barely dodging the proverbial jutsu as Sarutobi looked at him strangely, before turning his bewildered gaze on the blond.

"I'm afraid that happens when you're my age, Naruto-kun. How are you feeling? We weren't expecting you to wake this soon..." he trailed off at the strange look Mito-Naruto continued to give him.

"Hokage-sama," Akira interjected, staring between his superior and his charge. "Naruto-kun claims to be... Mito-sama."

Hiruzen was suddenly very glad he'd left his pipe in his office, today. Damned medics and their dramatics.

Mito-Naruto stared at the three shinobi thoughtfully, seeming to choose their words very carefully before turning their attention to the Sandaime. "I trust, by your current attire, that you are still Hokage, Saru?"

Sarutobi nodded, inwardly glad the Uzumaki had chosen to use one of Mito-sama's less embarrassing... _endearments_, and responded. "I chose a successor, but he died when Kushina's seal failed during childbirth. You knew him, actually - Minato-kun. He sealed the Kyūbi within he and Kushina's son... Naruto, your great-grandson."

Mito-Naruto's face was ashen.

"So," the blond whispered, repressed anguish colouring their tone. "You... know, then." Hard eyes, reflecting just a hint of betrayal, turned to the aged Hokage. "Did Tsunade tell you?"

Hiruzen blinked in shock. Of _course_. That explained a lot.

Tsunade had been absolutely devastated by the news of her grandmother's impending death, having not long lost her brother in one of the pre-war skirmishes. However, she had driven herself forward with a vengeance. She had taken it upon herself to raise and aid Mito's appointed successor, Uzumaki Kushina, and had stayed with her grandmother in the woman's final years. Kushina and Tsunade had bonded rather quickly, and Tsunade had become the young girl's rock, especially when word had come of Uzushio's fall in the opening battle of the Second Shinobi World War, mere months after Kushina's arrival in Konoha.

And Tsunade had raged. She had been just as inconsolable in her grief as so many others. As Hiruzen and his sister, who lost a man who was practically a brother to them. As Orochimaru, who had formed bonds with the Ranmyaku Clan of Uzushio, and even been granted permission to enter their ancestral home, the Ryūchi Cave, and sign the Snake Summoning Contract. As Jiraiya, who had finally managed to fall for a woman other than Tsunade, only to have her killed alongside so many others from her Clan. As Mito, who had lost her beloved younger brother and so many old friends. As Kushina herself, who had lost her entire family, her entire village. Kushina, who swore in blood that she would wipe Kirigakure from the map. And Tsunade would have helped her, if she hadn't been ordered away to other borders.

Sarutobi sighed, remembering the void in the pair's relationship, formed when Kushina had come back from a mission in the Third War half-dead, long after the trauma of losing Dan had developed into hæmophobia, and because there was _so much blood_ and _Kushina almost died_ Tsunade hadn't been able to bring herself to visit the girl in the Hospital. Oh, she'd tried - she'd even managed to get a few feet in the door, until she encountered a man who was being wheeled past on a gurney, bleeding profusely - but it hadn't ended well, and if anything, her hæmophobia had worsened after it. She'd been truly regretful, and begged Kushina to forgive her and understand when she got out.

But of course, Kushina hadn't understood. Not at all.

Oh she'd raged. And she'd screamed. She'd asked how the so-called 'Best Medic' in Konoha - in the world, even - had been able to stand idly by and allow someone who was supposedly important to her to come so close to dying. And it had touched a nerve in Tsunade, who had acted.

She'd punched Kushina through a wall.

By the time the argument had been ended - forcibly - Kushina had ended up with multiple broken bones and Tsunade was hyperventilating as she tried to distance herself from her bleeding leg, which had been nicked by one of Kushina's Kongō Fūsa. Kushina, beaten and bloodied and hurt - both psychically and emotionally - had angrily declared that she never wanted to speak to Tsunade again. And she hadn't, either. Once she was no longer catatonic, Tsunade had taken the recently-adopted Shizune, gathered her belongings, and departed the village that night, never to return again. In spite of Kushina's best efforts.

It would make sense for Tsunade and Kushina's past closeness to have been due to Tsunade knowing just how closely related she was to the young Uzushio survivor.

"No," Sarutobi responded truthfully, his eyes meeting Mito-Naruto's and bespeaking his sincerity. "I wasn't even aware that Tsunade-hime knew of this. We ourselves only discovered it due to the fact that your chakra and Naruto-kun's is merging far too easily for you to be anything but directly related." Mito-Naruto sighed, smiling slightly in apology at the man. The Sandaime continued. "Although, if you have any ideas as to how exactly this happened, that would be appreciated."

Mito-Naruto hummed thoughtfully, eyes closing in thought for a moment before opening. "I had a... theory about being jinchūriki. That a small, residual presence of chakra would 'latch-on', for lack of a better term, to the bijū's own, remaining even after extraction. I suppose that the Kyūbi had more awareness of what was going on outside the seal than I thought. Either that, or the residual chakra also contained 'echoes' of the memories the jinchūriki had prior to bijū extraction, including memories from before the bijū was sealed within the host in the first place. Actually," they hummed again, rubbing their chin in thought. "I'd say it's the latter, since I possess my memories from before the sealing as well. I can also feel Kushina's chakra-presence, although it's not as strong as mine. Almost as if it's also tied into the seal..."

Hiruzen frowned at her final comment, since that made absolutely no sense. Regardless... "Do you have any idea on how to stop this? It's causing extensive damage to Naruto-kun's mind." If anyone knew how to fix this, Mito would. Sadly, the blond only shook their head.

"No, I'm afraid not," Mito-Naruto responded, sighing sadly. "However, I can give you a seal to apply, that will make the experience much easier on him. Not remove the memories, but rather allow for their slow integration into his psyche. He should, hopefully, awaken in a day if this is successful, and from there the damage will likely gradually recede as Naruto becomes acclimatised to his new memories..." they winced, staring at the Sandaime in trepidation. "Saru, some of my memories are... not at all pleasant. And I can't imagine Kushina's life was easy, however much I hoped it would be. He will need support as he works through this."

Instead of Hiruzen, Kakashi - who had been largely silent throughout the meeting - nodded. "I assure you, Mito-sama, Naruto will have all the support he needs. I won't allow Minato-sensei and Kushina-sama's son to suffer needlessly." The conviction in the man's voice seemed to comfort Mito-Naruto, and they nodded. Koyanagi, who had quickly left the room without them noticing to obtain a scroll and ink, returned and handed the two items to the jinchūriki, who began creating the seal.

As Mito-Naruto receded into unconsciousness, Sarutobi began placing the seal. **(4)**

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback End<strong>

* * *

><p>As Jiraiya digested that, Koyanagi entered the room.<p>

"Ah, Jiraiya-kun!" the green-eyed man exclaimed gleefully, his eyes bespeaking a sadistic glee that only a particularly terrifying medic could possibly hold. "I believe you haven't undergone a medical exam in _quite some time_! Would you care to check yourself in, so that I can... _rectify_ that?"

The other three men in the room shivered in unison.

Koyanagi Akira was also feared throughout the village as the source of Tsunade's atrocious bedside manner. The man was known for being horribly invasive during medical examinations, to the point of actually _injuring_ his patients by accident during their check-ups, and then attempting to pass it off as some horrible disease they'd contracted. It had only gotten worse as he got older. Especially to those who required a constantly clean bill of health, like the village's elite.

The three men shivered again.

"I'm... ah... afraid I don't have time or that right now, Doctor," Jiraiya interjected nervously, shooting a glance - half fear and half a desperate cry for help - to the other two men, but received only pitying glances in return. _'Cowards!'_

"Rubbish!" Akira responded, grinning. "That's an order, and not even the Hokage has the power to rescind this _particular_ one. March," the man demanded cheerfully, and Jiraiya gulped.

"But... we need to talk about my godson!" And he did _not_ whine, not at all, despite what everyone else would say to the contrary.

Koyanagi waved airily, his grin not fading in the least. "But of course, of course. Still, I'm sure your talk can wait until after you're done with the examination!" Jiraiya gulped again, and followed the man.

* * *

><p>Jiraiya limped back to the Hokage's office an hour later, waddling like a penguin with something unfortunate in a similarly unfortunate place (which, admittedly, was not too far from the truth). Damn that crazy old coot and his insane theories. <em>'Suffering from prostrate problems my ass...'<em>

Jumping up through the window, he walked in and sat down in the chair opposite the man, wincing. He glared at the Hokage as the man chuckled. "Oh yeah, very funny. I swear, why that guy went into medicine instead of T & I is beyond me." In response, Sarutobi broke out into actual, uproarious laughter.

"Well, Jiraiya-kun, we do still have a problem," the Monkey-Summoner replied once he had settled, staring intently at his last loyal student. "Naruto-kun has yet to awaken, and Mito-sama said he should have woken by now. Furthermore, the trauma to his mind is extensive, and still increasing, since he hasn't had a chance to assimilate all the information yet," the man sighed sadly, staring above Jiraiya at the portrait of Minato on the wall. "This is simply beyond Koyanagi-san's abilities."

"Well then," Jiraiya said, and grinned. "I have an idea of exactly who to get, and how."

* * *

><p><strong>Two Weeks Later<strong>

A busty blond figure walked the streets of a minor community in Tea Country, hesitantly counting her winnings as her assistant talked animatedly. The woman was clad in a grey, sleeveless kimono-like blouse which she wore a green haori over, the kanji for 'Gamble' emblazoned in a red circle one the back. She wore dark bluish-grey pants and an obi to match, with open-toed, strapped black sandals with high heels on her feet. She also wore red nail polish on her fingernails and toenails, as well as pink lipstick. Around her neck was a necklace, featuring a single, long turquoise gem in the centre with two small metal balls on either side of it. She had pale skin, pale blond hair tied into two loose ponytails, brown eyes and a curious diamond-shaped mark in the centre of her forehead.

Her companion beside her, who was holding a female pet pig, had shoulder-length black hair that framed her face, and black eyes. She wore a long, bluish-black kimono with white trimmings, a white obi holding it together, and low-heeled, open-toed sandals. She was fair-skinned and had a slender build. The pig she carried, interestingly enough, wore a dark red jacket and pearl collar.

Suddenly, a familiar figure dropped in front of both women, shocking them as they both stood and stared at the man in shock.

Jiraiya eyes rose and met those of his ex-teammate, staring into them with a serious intensity unfamiliar on his face. "Hime, please," he began, and she was about to open her mouth to offer an instant rebuttal, but the desperation in the man's eyes stopped her. She knew that look. As a medic, she had seen it often, and was sure it had been reflected in her own eyes several times throughout her life.

The look of panicked anxiety belonging to those about to lose someone precious to them.

"Please," he continued, and she almost said yes right that moment, because even though she had endured so much, lost so many people, she didn't want her teammate to go through the pain she knew all too well. Not again. If she could do anything, it would be to prevent that. "Please save our godson."

And Tsunade gasped.

* * *

><p><strong>For those who picked it up, YES, the bit at the end of last chapter was Dark!Naruto merging with regular Naruto. The whole reason why will be made clear soon.<strong>

**(1) Timeline events are a tad unclear about this stuff. I'm using ShounenSuki's Timeline on the Naruto Wiki as the best source for the dates of events. This makes Kushina's father 56 years of age when Naruto was born, if he was still alive at the time, and he would be 68 turning 69 later in the year at the current time, much like Sarutobi himself. He's dead though, so no matter. :|**

**(2) Shinku is not an OC, although he wasn't initially named in the series (I originally named him something else, but I've edited it since the Databook's release). He's Kurenai's father. The crazy guy, however, _is_ devised entirely by yours truly. He's supposed to be Kurenai's younger brother. He'll reappear once more in another flashback, and be mentioned in passing, and then he'll be gone.**

**(3) Dates for Orochimaru's defection are unclear, but I'm thinking he was still in the village for a good few years post-Kyūbi, prior to defecting.**

**(4) Sarutobi used the Reaper Death Seal, and is known as 'The Professor'. He's obviously a highly skilled fūinjutsu user.**

**Now, I know a few will be thinking 'It takes three days to make it to Konoha from Suna, not two.' but bear in mind that Jiraiya wasn't actually in Suna itself, and he's a super-powerful Sannin. He can travel at greater speeds than the common lemmings, especially when he's driven.**

**Now, I did make a slight error, as the Uzumaki genes _can_ be tamed, as shown by Naruto and Tsunade not having the Uzumaki red hair. The reason for this is simple - Senju genes. The Senju's DNA is the one type considered capable of 'calming' the Uzumaki genes, although the overwhelming nature of the chakra tends to remain. Naruto will NOT be getting an appearance change, barring largely cosmetic ones in Part 2. His blond hair will remain for the above-mentioned reasons, and another one which will remain unrevealed for some time.**

**Thanks for reading! Catch you next time!**


	3. Of Gamblers and Gambling

**INHERITANCE, a Naruto fanfiction**

**AU. Naruto's reality is tipped on its head when the mission to Nami no Kuni goes awry. With a set of fresh, untempered skills and a thousand scattered glimpses into tragedies past, is it any wonder he's struggling to remember how to live? (And if he never does... Well, who needed hope anyway?)**

* * *

><p><strong>"FALLOUT" - INHERITANCE ARC #1<strong>

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><p><strong>A friendly reminder that this is STRICTLY a NaruIno fanfiction. Meaning ABSOLUTELY NO HAREM. Hell, there isn't even enough women if I <em>did<em> want one! They're all already spoken for, y'know, so don't get any funny ideas. Also, all pairings are final. If you want to know who someone is paired with, drop me a review/PM and I'll let you know.**

**Warning: passing mentions of Fanon cliches that have been violently abducted, adapted, and overcome to suit my plot. A fair amount of required rehashing over past topics, but with new information added. Also, no Naruto POV this chapter. Next chapter, though!**

* * *

><p>Naruto experienced another memory from Mito's perspective.<p>

Mito giggled softly, rolling over to lie on her stomach alongside her lover. "Y'know, if people saw you like this, they might reconsider their opinions of you. You're looking decidedly... oh how shall I put this... _friendly_ right now."

The man snorted, rolling his black eyes as a smirk twisted his lips. "If you were to tell a soul, I'd just insist you were lying," he said matter-of-factly, ignoring his state of undress as he lay on the futon on his back. The room around them was a simple hotel in one of the many towns of Hi no Kuni {Land of Fire}, furnished with a single futon and minimal amenities. It wasn't like they needed it for much, and Mito's fūinjutsu allowed for all the privacy they could possible need. "Besides, you wouldn't dare. You're a married woman. Senju Mito, the dearest wife of Senju Hashirama. Mother of his daughter, Senju Chikako. I'd simply claim you used your incredible fūinjutsu skills to control me. Hell, even your husband would believe me!"

"Ridiculous," she snorted in turn, pressing a light kiss to his temple before pulling away with a smug grin. "The feared 'Sharingan no Oni {Demon of the Sharingan}' would _never_ fall to such paltry skills! In fact, his almighty dōjutsu would ensnare a poor, _defenceless_ Uzumaki woman right up, so he could take her away and have his wicked way with her."

He grinned outright at her words, turning on his side to face her. "Oh, I'm so glad you approve of my skills. And we both know that you are no slouch yourself, Miss 'I like younger men,'" he stuck his tongue out at the woman, retracting it quickly as she tried to trap it between her forefinger and thumb.

"So I'm a cougar, and a pedophile," she shrugged unabashedly. Grinning slightly, she pulled his face to hers for a kiss, her next words but a breath on his lips. "Doesn't mean you don't love it."

"Hn," her lover replied, but allowed her affection regardless. As her hands began to wander lower, however, he stopped her. "No, Mito."

She sighed, leaning away and sitting propped up on her elbows. "We're out of time already?" And it was difficult, so very difficult, to make it work like this. Meeting up twice a year, on the eve of their birthdays, to spend time together. A quiet, hidden love, but no less passionate for it. Many would have given up on it years ago, but the way his usually cold eyes lit up with ill-suppressed love and adoration whenever they met on their planned outings made it all worth it. All the lies, all the secrets, all the years and years of hidden affection, made worth it with a simple look.

Even when they met on the battlefield, they let nothing slip. Their emotions were completely under their control, and they each had scars provided from the other. She could clearly remember the first time he had traced the scar - one he had given her not a fortnight before - on her stomach with his tongue as he-

"Mito?" he asked softly, pulling her abruptly from her thoughts. "What's wrong?"

She smiled at the ill-hidden concern in his voice, turning to face him again. "Nothing, love. Just... sick of hiding this."

He stood and began dragging his clothing on, doing so slowly and in exaggerated movements so as to give his lover a show. "It is tedious," he admitted, frowning. "But unless you can think of a way to bring this out in the open without turning everyone we know against us - and trust me, I'm open to any ideas - then we're stuck in this situation."

"We could run away together?" she proposed, not believing it for a moment. And judging by the incredulous look he shot her, he knew that too.

He shook his head at her, running a hand through his spiky hair. "Don't be ridiculous. We're both too over-protective of our little brothers. Plus, you're a mother, even if you're stuck in a loveless marriage with a halfwit," he concluded, chuckling when she broke out in laughter at his comment. His face turned suddenly serious. "Never lose your laugh, Mito. It's one of my favourite things about you."

"That and the sex," she commented dryly, smirking up at the man, who returned the gesture.

"That too," he agreed as he finished donning his clothes, a simple high-collared blue shirt with the Uchiha fan on the back, partnered with blue pants. His wrists and shins were tied with bandages, and he wore a simple sash as a belt, alongside a pair of black enclosed shoes. "Anyway, I need to go," he finally said, sighing as he straightened. He immediately found arms encircling his waist, and chuckled.

"Say it, love. Like you always do," she asked earnestly. This was one of her favourite parts. A tradition carried on ever since that night all those years ago, when they had been separated by fate. Not forever, but enough that it stung. Stung Mito, who was stuck in a loveless marriage, raising a daughter who she had spent her entire pregnancy fretting over the paternity of. Stung her love, forced to live a lie in a life he never wanted, fighting a friend he respected above all others.

"I shall love you, always," he complied, smiling softly at her over his shoulder.

"I love you too, Madara-chan," she replied with a grin, and with a huff and a snort he was gone.

Little did either of them know, they would not meet again until Konohagakure was formed over eight years later. And Mito was most assuredly unaware - at the time, at least - that she would become a mother again nine months later, giving birth to the heirs of Uchiha Madara.

And poor Naruto - who was experiencing the whole scene in morbid fascination - was left slightly traumatised, and with a faint blush on his cheeks.

* * *

><p>Tsunade stared at her former teammate in shock, disbelief mingling with faint traces of hope in her heart.<p>

It was clear – obvious, even – who her godchild was. Only one person had ever asked, regardless of the many years of emotional hurt between them, and she had never had the opportunity to say the loud, resounding 'YES' that had lain at the tip of her tongue. Not to the person who counted the most.

Oh, she remembered that day. How Jiraiya - grinning, exuberant Jiraiya - had not even acted on his perverted instincts, instead talking animatedly about their soon-to-be godson. How Shizune had been so excited, so joyous at the thought of returning to the village of her birth, to see her elder-sister figure. How, as they approached, they could feel something was wrong. How they had seen the damage, and known. It was obvious what had happened. And Jiraiya had run into the village, calling out for his teammate to follow. But she hadn't. Instead, she had turned around and headed straight back in the opposite direction, a crying Shizune on her heels.

Kushina was dead. That much had been obvious.

"Why?" she whispered out, and so much emotion was given form in that single, agonised word. "Why?"

"I..." Jiraiya trailed off, gazing at the ground sadly. "I was weak, Tsunade. I'm sure you've connected the dots by now." And she had, because it was so _obvious_. Minato and Kushina would never force the child of another to bear the burden of being jinchūriki, not when there was another option. _'Their own... Oh Kushina...'_ she thought sadly. As she did this, Jiraiya continued. "Naruto has suffered terribly, because of his burden. He was shunned and reviled, although not to the violent extent some of his counterparts have had to deal with, thankfully. He's apparently... quite a friendly child. All of his mother's ferocity and brashness, alongside his father's kindness and determination," he seemed pleased and proud, if sad.

"And..." suddenly, Tsunade's throat was very, very dry. Because she had lost an Uzumaki before, a family member, because she couldn't overcome her own fears. And she would be damned if she did it again. Especially before she even got to meet him. "What happened to him?"

Jiraiya winced, trying to look anywhere but his former teammate. "He's in a coma..." he admitted at length, and Tsunade's hope shattered.

_'A coma... a... coma... my godson... is in a coma...'_ and wasn't that a nasty surprise? Of all the ways for her to discover his continued existence, for it happen while he was fighting for his life. Oh, she had lost so many of her precious people. Her grandparents and great-uncle, her parents, her uncle, her brother and lover, and her poor, sweet little cousin. Because even if Kiri never saw it, or even most of Konoha for that matter, Kushina had an incredible kindness to her, despite all that she had seen and lost. Despite losing her entire village, alongside her parents, aunt and maternal grandmother. Despite losing her teammate, Hyūga Hisoka, alongside her sensei, Nara Umeko. Despite all the suffering she endured as the leader of the Kirigakure Front during the Third Shinobi World War. Kushina had always been kind and forgiving with her friends, and ruthless with her enemies.

"It was during a mission," Jiraiya continued, seemingly oblivious to his teammate's inner thoughts. "A mission-escalation, from C-Rank to A-Rank," at that, the man chuckled slightly, likely remembering his own team's first experience with ranking changes. "He... well, it would be better if nothing more was said here. Could we go somewhere I can set up some privacy seals?" he asked at length, and she was immediately on guard. Evidently her godson was embroiled in some pretty serious stuff, although that made sense - he was a jinchūriki, after all. Nodding, Tsunade led the man to their current hotel room, inwardly pondering her situation.

She wasn't fond of Konoha. This wasn't always the truth, of course, but time had shown her that the system of the Hidden Villages was a bloody one, entirely content to strip someone of everything they cared for. Tsunade had witnessed the deaths of so many of those precious to her, and heard of all the others second-hand. And now she had to swallow her agony at the thought of going anywhere _near_ the village, and attend to the last member of her family.

And the scary part was, she honestly had no idea if she could do it.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Weeks Previously<strong>

* * *

><p>Hiruzen sighed dejectedly as he walked towards the meeting room of the Go-Ikenban {Honoured Opinion Watch}, dreading the meeting ahead. He would have to inform them of recent events, stressing to them, of course, the importance of respecting the <em>S-Rank<em> secrecy inherent with the information. He had considered not sharing the information, but decided it was simply easier to inform Konoha's most influential residents of events, since if he didn't, they were likely to harass him constantly. After all, Team 7 was a massively important team for the village - led by the Yondaime's last remaining student, with a kunoichi with significant - if untapped - potential, the Uchiha Clan's lone loyal, surviving member - or so they had the village believe - as well as the village's jinchūriki, and the boy who would one day - hopefully - restart a resurgent Uzumaki Clan in Konoha. It was a powerful team with much potential, but also considerable potential for defection, considering the Uchiha's lust for power and the Uzumaki's treatment in the village.

Arriving in the meeting room at last, Sarutobi turned his gaze to the amassed individuals, and mentally steeled himself, assessing who would likely cause the most trouble, and who would cause the least. **(1)**

Nara Shikaku. Head of the Nara Clan and the Jōnin Commander of the Village as a whole, although he was only present because of his status as the latter.

Akimichi Chōza. Head of the Akimichi Clan, and thus permitted presence due to his Clan's 'Noble' status.

At the formation of the village, certain elements had demanded more of a say in village affairs than others, originally to balance the Senju-dominated Hokage seat with perspectives from other Clans. Some, such as the Inuzuka and Kurama Clans, as well as minor shinobi families that were so small they were barely worth mentioning, had received no say, but the four Clan Heads who were, at the time, considered both the most loyal to the village and the most likely to strive for fair results for all had ultimately been chosen.

Beside Chōza was an empty seat, left in honour of the fallen Uchiha Clan. Upon his promotion to jōnin, Sasuke would be offered the seat, but in the meantime it remained empty. In the past, the seat was held by Sasuke's father, the Uchiha Clan Head Fugaku, prior to his death. The seat had originally been granted to Fugaku's grandfather, who was chosen as the Uchiha Clan Head after Madara's defection.

Aburame Shibi. The current representative of the Aburame Joō {Aburame Queen}, and thus the Clan's voice on the Go-Ikenban. Unlike the other Clans, the secretive Aburame chose a representative due to the highly reclusive nature of the Aburame Joō, who had not actually been seen in the entire history of the Clan, both before and after Konoha's establishment. It had, perhaps, been the most shocking when the Aburame had arrived to the village over a year after its founding, seemingly out of the blue, requesting only a seat on the Go-Ikenban in exchange for their support of the village. The current representative, Shibi, was an accomplished member of the Clan, being the most powerful shinobi the Clan had produced during their tenure within the village. Due to this, he was known as the 'Pride of the Aburame', having graduated from the Academy a year early, after which he was placed on a team alongside Hyūga Hisoka and Uzumaki Kushina. Shibi was often the voice of logic and reason, which tended to be a double-edged sword.

Hyūga Hiashi. Head of the Hyūga Clan, and thus the final head of the Noble Clans. Sadly, the state of the clan had deteriorated over the last while, leaving the Council seat in the hands of a rather antagonistic force. It was a shame, truly, since under their leader at the time of the Village's founding, Hyūga Hiroshi, the Clan had truly lived up to their status of 'Noble', leading a shining example of the ideal shinobi to the rest of the village. The Clan's role in the politics of the village was rather minimal as of late which was something Sarutobi was glad for. The Clan seemed more inclined to internal dealings after the Hyūga incident, although he disliked how segregated they seemed to be growing from the rest of the village. It almost reminded him of the Uchiha Clan, except in this case the manner in which the Clan was distanced from the village was entirely on their own part.

The ANBU Commander, a figure known to all but Hiruzen as merely 'Danchō' {Commander of the Legion} **(2)**. With short, spiky light-brown hair and below-average height being the man's only obvious attributes, barring the mask he wore on his face in the shape of a dog - pointy ears and all - he seemed utterly unremarkable. However, this image was ruined by the tenseness in the figure's form, and the aura of danger the man exuded. One thing was clear to those possessing a modicum of intelligence - this man was death incarnate.

Mitokado Homura. Sarutobi's ex-teammate under the Nidaime Hokage, Homura was far more militant than the Sandaime, and was also a touch more arrogant. Prone to agreeing with Danzō on matters regarding village security, the glasses-wearing man tended to be against Naruto often, viewing the boy as nothing more than the village's jinchūriki, and potential source of a new, repopulated Uzumaki and Senju Clan in Konoha. He was also an 'executive advisor', and commanded an incredible amount of respect within the village. Unlike the others, Homura was truly a threat to Hiruzen's grip on Konoha's shinobi population as a whole.

Utatane Koharu. Rounding off the set of Tobirama's students, Hiruzen and Homura's female teammate was also very militant, but was also the more humble of the pair. Regardless, she was also a keen supporter of Danzō and his policies, and was another 'executive advisor'. While not having quite the same level of respect in the village as Homura, she was regardless well known and also a threat.

Morino Ibiki. A Tokubetsu jōnin, and the current Head of Konoha's Torture & Interrogation Department. The man was scarred heavily due to previous encounters as the victim of his own trade, specifically on a rather tricky mission to Kumogakure during the previous war that went awry. Thankfully, the man had proven to be extremely resistant to any method of torture, and had been immediately drafted into Konoha's T & I Department upon his escape and return to the village.

Koyanagi Akira. Of course, as head of Konoha's Hospital, it was logical for the green-eyed man to be present. In fact, he had been Head of Konoha hospital for only a few less years than Hiruzen had been Hokage, considering _both_ of his terms.

Kanashiro Chieko. A rather dim, forgetful woman with brown hair and light brown eyes, a rounded face with rounded eyes set on a pale complexion, and dressed in an elaborate black kimono with an Imperial headdress. Chieko was generally ignored during the meetings of the Go-Ikenban, even though she was the daimyō's third child; his youngest daughter and representative in Konohagakure. Ever since Konoha's founding, it had been a rule that the daimyō possessed the right to appoint a liaison to participate in meetings of the Go-Ikenban. Under the rule of her grandfather, back when civilian leadership of Hi no Kuni {Land of Fire} had a respectable army of its own, this law had been used to devastating effect at times. Thankfully, neither the current daimyō nor his children possessed even a fraction of their forefather's cunning, and thus remained largely ignorant of the level of power they were supposed to wield in the village. Even if they became aware, Hiruzen would sooner order the entire regime deposed than allow them governance of Konoha.

Of course, it was important to remember that the Go-Ikenban was only there to get things _done_, and provide _insight_. They actually possessed very little control over the village, and were primarily tasked with ensuring the Hokage's will was enforced, regardless of what the populous thought. Of course, the 'leaders' of the Go-Ikenban, Homura and Koharu, held more sway, both for their fame within the village as Tobirama's students and devoted Konoha shinobi, and for their more proactive role in advising the Hokage. The 'executive' members of the Go-Ikenban - of which there could never be more than three at a time - were, while not officially equal to the Hokage with their level of political power, entirely capable of sabotaging the Hokage's rule if they disagreed with it. Thus, it was important for Sarutobi to ensure that they agreed with the decisions he made, lest another 'incident' take place...

"I hereby call the 4th meeting of the Go-Ikenban, in the year 61 PWS, to order," Hiruzen stated simply, and all present returned to their seated positions. **(3)**

"Hokage-sama," Koharu began, and the Sandaime almost sighed. _'So it begins.'_ "I recently heard a rumour that Uzumaki Naruto was brought into the Konoha Hospital by his sensei, _comatose_. Would there be any truth to this?"

Suddenly, the eyes of the entire Go-Ikenban swivelled to their leader, who seemingly aged before their eyes. "I am afraid it is true, Koharu," he replied, watching as the woman paled slightly. After all, she was one of the few in the village that held high hopes for the village pariah, even if he had failed to live up to it so far. Koharu knew Minato and Kushina well, since her sister had been the one to take Minato in, after his parents' deaths.

The daimyō's daughter appeared confused for a moment before gasping. "The village's jinchūriki?" the woman asked at length, lifting a questioning eyebrow around the room. Shibi nodded at the woman in affirmation as the Go-Ikenban exchanged looks.

"This is not good," Hiashi said simply, and the rest of those gathered nodded. "How exactly did this come to pass, Hokage-sama?"

"It appears that Team 7's first C-Rank mission underwent a ranking change," the Hokage responded, frowning. "Truly, I'm shocked that the mission to Nami no Kuni managed to get through the system. It's not as if we were unaware of Gatō's rule over the country. Although, due to the actions of Team 7 and Naruto in particular, we have likely secured Nami as a trade-ally for years to come." Hiruzen shook his head before sighing, "I'm afraid that Naruto's first experience drawing on the Kyūbi's chakra has not been without consequence." At the startled intake of breath around the room, the 'Professor' hastily expanded on his comment. "The Kyūbi seems to have drawn out the latent abilities in Naruto-kun's DNA."

"Latent... abilities?" the ANBU Commander questioned in monotone, his mask turning to the side in question.

"Indeed!" Koyanagi exclaimed suddenly, grinning like a loon. "All latent abilities within three generations of Naruto-kun's ancestry have been drawn out! Of course, the Uzumaki Chakra has had a smothering effect to an extent, leaving Naruto with only the chakra natures of his Uzumaki ancestors alongside the Kongō Fūsa {Adamantine Sealing Chains}, but due to the presence of Uchiha ancestors on both sides of his family, he's unlocked the Sharingan as well! Truly, I'm still wondering how the Kyūbi managed it!"

Hiruzen violently strangled the urge to facepalm as a resounding 'WHAT?!' echoed throughout the room.

"How is this... the Kusari (Chains)? _Really_? Why this is... marvelous!" Koharu exclaimed, and the normally composed woman was suddenly grinning in a rather startling manner. "We'd thought the Kongō Fūsa to have finally died out! Who'd have thought that Bakegitsune {Monster Fox} would do us a favour!?"

"Indeed," Homura agreed, although looking far more composed than his counterpart. "This is great news, although I will admit I am concerned as to how the Kyūbi managed it. You say you are still unsure of this?" he questioned, and at Koyanagi's response - a single, sad shake of his head - Homura sighed. "Regardless, I find myself wondering as to how Naruto-san possessed the DNA for the Sharingan. As you don't seem shocked, would you care to explain, Hiruzen?"

The Sandaime sighed before launching in to the same explanation he had given Kakashi and Jiraiya about Minato's parents, including the additional information about Mito's lover and her relation to Kushina. They still, unfortunately, had been unable to identify Mito's lover, as there was no certainty that the Uchiha was even among the past shinobi of Konoha, and they hadn't had time to ask Mito-sama before she fell unconscious. _'Which reminds me...'_ "It also appears that Naruto-kun has received 'echoes' of Mito-sama and Kushina alongside large portions of their chakra levels, leaving him with their memories and chakra signatures, although the merging of those with Naruto's own will be a slow process, thankfully. Otherwise Naruto would be unlikely to survive the process."

"Indeed," Akira hummed, his green eyes hidden behind closed eyelids as he leaned back in his chair, arms cradling the back of his head. "I believe that Naruto-kun will be fully integrated with Kushina-chan's 'echo' - which, understandably, is smaller than Mito-sama's, since she died at a much younger age, and had less chakra - about a little under two years from now, whereas it will take four for Mito-sama's to integrate. The process will be difficult and painful, although I'm hoping Tsunade may be able to help me limit it to his sub-conscious mind, so that it integrates while he's asleep or resting. This would need a combined effort of iryō-ninjutsu and fūinjutsu, however."

"Tsunade? Is she returning to the village, then?" Shikaku interjected suddenly, overcoming the rising hubbub brewing in the room following the most recent revelation. All members of the Go-Ikenban seemed to perk up at his comment.

Hiruzen nodded shortly, quickly quelling the rising excitement with his next sentence. "We are hoping so. Jiraiya has gone to speak with her, and since Naruto is both her blood-relative and godson, we are hoping for a positive outcome. If she doesn't... Naruto may very well never recover."

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, Jiraiya," the blonde began once the three of them had arrived back at the hotel room, and privacy seals had been placed. "Explain."<p>

The white-haired Sannin sighed, shaking his head in sadness before raising his eyes to meet his former teammate's gaze. "After you turned around and left, I decided to go straight to sensei, and he told me what had happened," here, Jiraiya winced, and Tsunade knew what was coming next. "They were both dead."

Oh she had known. All these years, she had known. It was obvious. She'd grieved, and cried, and drowned her misery in sake and gambling. She drank to forget. To forget a grinning redhead sitting next to her on the couch, talking animatedly about 'Minato-kun', who had 'saved her from those Kumo-nin' and was 'soooo coool!', as Tsunade smiled and nodded, cursing her absence at the time. She drank to forget a little girl, crying in her arms after returning from her fourth C-Rank mission, with a dead teammate and only an emotionless lump of an Aburame as potential support. To forget her own tears as she heard of a little girl, no longer little but a full-blown kunoichi, recently promoted to jōnin, lying in the hospital half-dead, and she couldn't even _go and see her_. To forget a shouting match turned violent, and the rage burning in the eyes of one of her last precious people. She had spent so much time trying to forget that poor, sweet, _dead_ girl. To ignore the fact that one of the lights of her life had been truly, utterly extinguished, like so many others had.

But hearing the words spoken aloud...

"How..." suddenly, her throat was very dry, her voice raspy and hollow. "How did she die?"

Jiraiya chuckled, with no mirth present in the sound at all. "She survived. She actually... ha! Kushina was truly made of sterner stuff!" he suddenly exclaimed, before his countenance once more became serious at the filthy look Tsunade was giving him. "Sorry, it's just... She actually survived. She _survived _bijū extraction, although an autopsy revealed that her coils were so damaged that she'd have likely died anyway, or at least been mostly unable to mould chakra." Both women gasped loudly at that. After all, bijū extraction was a _nasty_ fate, and suffering such extensive damage to the chakra circulatory system would be excruciatingly painful. "Anyway, Minato used the Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal) to seal half of the Kyūbi away as Kushina bound it with her Kongō Fūsa, but apparently the damned fox had enough slack to try to impale Naruto." Again the room echoed lightly at the sound of twin gasps. At seeing Tsunade's wide-eyed horror, Jiraiya quickly intervened. "Don't worry! They managed to stop it in time! They... well, according to sensei, who was beyond the barrier Kushina and Minato erected to contain the Kyūbi, they were impaled on its claws, using their bodies to shield him."

Tsunade couldn't hold her emotions in check anymore as she broke down in body-wracking sobs.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Weeks Previously<strong>

* * *

><p>"What about his teammates?" Homura interjected after several minutes of continued discussion on the topic. "The bond of a team, especially a genin team, is a strong one. Are we to jeopardise the bond of what may become Konoha's frontline team?" he clarified, and had the aged shinobi not been long considering the subject himself, he may have been caught off-guard.<p>

"Worry not," the Sandaime replied at length, meeting his once-teammate's eyes with grim determination. "While still in the planning stages, I'm currently coming up with a strategy on how to deal with Naruto's placement on Team 7. Once I've fully detailed the plan, I'll inform you all at the meeting following it. Likely our next one."

As it turned out, that was enough for Homura, who nodded. The Shinobi no Kami {God of Shinobi} let loose a sigh of relief - too soft to travel to the wrong ears - as he settled back in his chair slightly. _'That went well,' _he mused, stifling another sigh. _'Things could have gone much wor-'_

"Hokage-sama," Shibi interjected calmly, and Sarutobi's blood ran cold. Whenever the Aburame representative spoke out at such a time, it was usually to make a proposal that, while _logical_, was utterly inhumane. The bug-using Clan tended to be like that at times. "I propose Naruto-san be placed under the CRI." **(4)**

"No!" Hiruzen rebuked immediately. Oh, he knew of that legislation. One of his late sensei's gravest mistakes, the so-called 'Clan Repopulation Initiative' was in reality a glorified form of sex-slavery. The concept behind the 'law' was that a member of an old Clan that had decreased in numbers due to some circumstance or another, or a member of a new Clan that possessed a kekkei genkai, was 'gifted' a Harem for breeding, or forcibly impregnated with the sperm of multiple men, depending on their gender. It was cruel legislation, and any women in the 'Harem' for male Clan members were chosen by the Go-Ikenban and Hokage. In effect, the women had absolutely no choice in the matter, leaving them as glorified baby-farms. Never in Konoha's history had it been enacted, although there were some whisperings between Danzō, Homura and Koharu about pushing for Sasuke and Naruto to be placed under it, when they got older.

"Why not?" Homura demanded, staring incredulously at his ex-teammate. "If the Kongō Fūsa and Sharingan have emerged in the boy, especially when he has also had Uzumaki DNA and chakra drawn out, then it is possible that they have evolved past the Uzumaki Clan's notorious chakra! If that's true, then he may very well be capable of passing the Sharingan on, and of passing the Kusari on to more than one of his descendants! Hiruzen, this is a _miracle_ for the village and I will not permit you to waste it!"

"I absolutely refuse to allow that... _abomination_ of a law to be enacted!" Hiruzen snarled, losing composure for a brief moment. Because it _sickened_ him, sickened him that the village he led, that he fought for, could possibly force its own women into loveless relationships, when real couples who cared for each other deeply were torn apart by their lifestyle and mortality on a day-by-day basis. He would _not stand for it_.

"I agree with Hokage-sama," said Chōza, diffusing the tension slightly. Or rather, he got half of the discontent focused on him, instead, although Sarutobi was smiling at him gratefully. The Akimichi Clan Head continued. "The Clan Repopulation Initiative is a disgusting blight on Konoha; an injustice that no young woman could possibly deserve. To condemn one of our citizens to such a union is nothing short of cruel and unnecessary, and I shall not stand for it," he concluded, and to their credit, Koharu and Chieko both looked thoroughly reprimanded.

Shikaku hummed thoughtfully, drawing attention to himself, before snapping his fingers and sweeping his gaze around the room, finally settling on Shibi. "I propose a compromise," he commented, and the entire room was very suddenly on edge. A Nara's compromise was never quite what anyone wanted, even though it was a highly thought-out, intelligent answer. Normally, it meant that they were likely to all end up mildly disappointed.

"Oh?" Hiruzen replied cautiously, already debating on how to deny whatever the man suggested. While Shikaku was normally quite a kind man, his role as Jōnin Commander had hardened him into someone who was willing to agree to conclusions he considered 'morally dubious', as long as they benefited the village as a whole. He was no longer the lazy little genin that the Sandaime's sister had trained.

"Indeed," the Jōnin Commander said. "I propose that Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke be given requirements for the 'revival' of their Clans - both are to have three children, with willing partners, by the time they reach the age of twenty-five. Furthermore, they are to have six by the age of thirty-five, and if they fail to achieve these restrictions, then they are to be placed under the CRA until they have fathered at least eight children. If, in Uzumaki-san's case, he fails to pass along the Kusari gene to any of his children, he is to continue producing heirs until he has done so. After this point, the CRA will have no bearing on their lives, and they are free to continue their lives as they see fit. Furthermore, no more would be required of the women 'assisting' the Uchiha and Uzumaki in reviving their respective Clans after the quota of children was reached."

Sarutobi had to begrudgingly accept that it was a good plan. After a round of assent, the meeting moved on to other topics.

Around an hour later, a weary Sandaime slowly walked back to his office, intending to finish what little remained of the day's paperwork before heading home. Hopefully, Konohamaru wouldn't have another prank waiting for him, upon his return. Sometimes he truly rued the day his grandson had met Uzumaki Naruto.

Gazing out on his village, Hiruzen pondered his next move. What he had planned was risky, definitely, but it may very well pay off. As the next generation, it was important that they all formed positive bonds early on - something that their interactions during the Academy didn't allow. Suddenly, the man snapped his fingers as he finally came to a decision. At the unspoken command, an ANBU operative appeared in front of him, kneeling with their head bowed. "Bring me Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, and Hatake Kakashi," he commanded simply, and the operative went forth into the village to complete their assigned task.

He, like his lone female student, could also gamble. But unlike her, he refused to lose.

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day<strong>

* * *

><p>As Shizune held her as she cried, Tsunade finally pulled herself out of her memories of the past - of that bright, shining beacon of happiness in her life, long invisible to her and extinguished. Across from her, Jiraiya looked unusually sombre, eying the Slug Summoner sadly. Shizune was still crying silently, her arms shuddering with a sob occasionally as she continued to hold them around her mentor.<p>

Sitting up slightly, moving an arm to surround the shoulders of her mourning apprentice, Tsunade sniffled as she met the eyes of her teammate. "How'd they treat him?" she asked simply, and Jiraiya understood. _Of course_ he would understand - they'd both heard the tales of jinchūriki, both faced them in combat before, and they knew precisely how they tended to be treated. And Sarutobi would've _had_ to release the fate of the bijū, to assure the populace that it was defeated. A jinchūriki was a logical conclusion, and it was possible that their sensei had even been forced to reveal the name of the jinchūriki, to assuage the public's fears. Besides, the Go-Ikenban had been lobbying for the name of Konoha's jinchūriki to be revealed for decades, in an effort to play up the power of the village.

Jiraiya winced, and Tsunade felt her gut churn unpleasantly. "Compared to the jinchūriki of the other nations?" he asked, and Shizune - having not put two and ugly two together to make misshapen four, yet - gasped in shock. Ignoring her, Jiraiya continued, "Fairly well, to be honest. He was segregated for his entire life, neglected by some at the Orphanage, but for the most part he's fine. Compared to what I've heard of the current Ichibi and Nanabi jinchūriki, both of whom are around Naruto's age, he's had it _very_ easy. Regardless, Inoichi theorizes that he's repressed a lot of memories and emotions in his life, and there have been... a few incidences of violence..." seeing his teammate's darkening expression, he hastily intervened. "They've all been dealt with using the force deserving of their transgression, and in the case of one of them, a public execution."

Jiraiya suddenly decided that he had never known true terror before. The expression of vindictive _glee_ that spread across Tsunade's face at his words was... haunting.

"What precisely has happened to him?" Shizune inquired, finally gaining full control of her emotions once more. "You said he's in a coma, but..."

"Ah, yes," Jiraiya nodded at the black-haired woman before sighing sadly. "The Kyūbi has modified his DNA, drawing out latent bloodlines: the Kongō Fūsa, and the Sharingan."

Tsunade and Shizune both felt feint.

As medics, they were aware of the supposed impossibility of such tasks. Tsunade especially, since Orochimaru had bounced ideas off of her about how to draw out latent talent at times. Making such changes would be incredibly difficult, and would require both a certain amount of access to the growing child - which, evidently, the Kyūbi had - and access to some form of genetic material or chakra from both sides of the ancestry. Furthermore, the process would have to begin at a very early age, and would be _quite_ painful at times, especially when initially 'unlocking' the ability. _That_ much, Orochimaru had been sure of. Naruto would have surely suffered greatly throughout the experience.

"Wait, the Sharingan?" Tsunade suddenly asked, and dread pooled in her gut. _'No way. No way do they know about...'_

Jiraiya nodded at his teammate's expression. "Yes, it appears that Naruto has Uchiha DNA. I'm told that there is a conversation regarding this that you would remember...?" he trailed off, staring at his teammate meaningfully.

And she did remember. Remember being approached by her grandmother, aged terribly due to the influence of the seal that allowed her to heal at a rate fast enough that an adult could survive _pulling a bijū into themselves_ - a seal that Tsunade eventually refined into what was now her Byakugō no In (Strength of a Hundred Seal) - and to the point where she had little time to live, and being asked to run a DNA comparison on Mito and Kushina. And the results had totally taken her by surprise.

"Ye-Yes," Tsunade finally admitted, sighing before her eyes narrowed. "How did you know that?"

Jiraiya sighed in turn, placing his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his seat. "It seems that a form of... _echo_ of Kushina and your grandmother remained with the Kyūbi after its extraction." He paused here momentarily, expecting a loud gasp from Shizune, but receiving none. He internally snorted. _'Figures. Tsunade tells Shizune nearly everything. It's no surprise she knows that Kushina and Mito were jinchūriki.'_ Shaking his head, he continued. "The Kyūbi also pulled those presences forward to aid in the modification of Naruto's body. In effect, he has all of Mito and Kushina's skills and memories."

Tsunade stared at her ex-teammate wide-eyed, barely noticing her own arm patting her apprentice on the back as the younger woman choked on oxygen.

Kushina-chan's...

Mito-baachan's...

_'Dear word...'_

It made sense, as to how Naruto gained the Kusari. And of course, after the DNA test Tsunade and her grandmother had conducted, it was decided to seal any potential for the Sharingan away from Kushina's body. She had to admit, she still didn't know who her grandmother's mystery lover was, but the fact that his genes emerged in his descendent had to mean he had powerful chakra, even for an Uchiha. Otherwise, the DNA would have been overpowered by the Uzumaki Clan's notoriously potent chakra, which would have also increased in potency with these events.

There had been incidents of memory integration problems happening before that she had dealt with, so she knew why she had been called. Both Tsunade and her mother had been legendary, even when the former was young, for participating in Mito's efforts to assist Yamanaka Clan members who had not integrated memories properly. A seal had been devised by Mito to effectively contain and seal the memories of past mind-walking experiences that featured memories that were entirely too dangerous to remain in a shinobi's mind. Secret intelligence, incidences of rape or torture, such things left a scar on the soul, and even bearing witness would affect someone, and not for the better. Although the seal had fallen out of fashion after the Yamanaka found a new way of doing this themselves, it remained a powerful technique that only Tsunade was versed in. A technique to seal away - either for integration or removal - and heal memory-related mental trauma. And it wasn't just the memories of anyone, but of Mito-baa and Kushina.

Kushina, who had been somewhere in between a cousin and daughter to Tsunade.

Kushina, who died to protect those she loved.

Kushina, who named her - _Tsunade_ - godmother of her only child.

Kushina, whose son was currently comatose because of the machinations of some meddling _fox_ that had been ruining the lives of Tsunade's family for years. It and its blasted kindred.

She need not hear anything else, for now. She had questions, sure, and she most definitely wanted answers. But those could be sorted once they arrived.

"Well then," Tsunade said at length, and then sighed. "I suppose we're going to Konoha."

Jiraiya blinked. Then, he grinned.

* * *

><p>Naruto experienced another memory from Kushina's perspective.<p>

Kushina dodged to the left swiftly, raising her sword in her arm and cleanly cleaving the Kiri-nin's arm off. Forming two chains from her back, they struck forth and impaled two targets around her, both Kirigakure jōnin. Spinning, in a unique move inspired by her old Hyūga Clan teammate, forming another two Kongō Fūsa and enforcing them with Katon-natured chakra, she cleanly beheaded one Kiri-nin and gravely wounded another four who were within range of her attack. _'Heh, never underestimate me, Kiri scum!'_

As always, a vindictive glee burned inside her at the mere _thought_ of killing Kirigakure shinobi. Who knows, maybe there were even people who had taken place in Uzushio's Fall amongst those present. She could continue her vengeance on those who slaughtered her kindred. Maybe there were even defectors from the Roku no Hogokoku {Protectorate of Six} present.

Suddenly, a shadow passed above her, and Kushina dodged to the right just as the blade Shibuki {Splash} came down on her position, an explosion rocking the area she had occupied not a second prior. Her ANBU mask shattered, and Kushina ducked her head swiftly downwards to prevent any debris from impacting her face. As it stood, she received several scratches along her face that would likely heal in a day or so. _'God, I love being an Uzumaki jinchūriki, sometimes!'_

Across from her, Munashi Jinpachi grinned lecherously. "It'll be a great shame to kill such a beautiful specimen. Pity Mizukage-sama only wants your head, Kusari-Teikiatsu {Chain Cyclone}," the man said, his bloodlust filling the air around him.

Instead of responding, Kushina leapt at the man, bringing her blade down in a Katon empowered arc. In turn, the Kiri-nin dodged slightly to the right, just as he brought his blade up to parry the attack. The groaning, scraping noise Shibuki made upon taking the impact, however, was _not_ promising. Neither was the dent revealed at the impact point. Jinpachi practically foamed at the mouth.

"You BITCH!" he shouted, spinning Shibuki and deploying the plethora of explosive tags on the blade, all of which ignited in a grand explosion that sent Kushina, who had formed a Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) at the last minute to throw her away, flying. Recovering quickly, she leapt back to meet him, forming a Kongō Fūsa and attempting to impale him. Her attempts failed, however, as he dodged each attack of the chain nimbly, and eventually it became so distant from her that she had to release the technique.

Racing towards him again and swinging her sword to strike, Kushina was forced to dodge as Jinpachi let loose a Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Water Trumpet) in hopes of catching her head on. Kushina rounded around the technique and swung her blade at the A-Ranked shinobi. Remembering the damage inflicted to his Shibuki last time, he dodged instead of parrying.

The two kenjutsu-users continued their dance for several minutes, trading ninjutsu and blows. Jinpachi always made sure to dodge rather than parry where possible, but his blade still received some glancing blows from Kushina's superior katana. Three dents lined the frame of the weapon, including one on the sharpened length of metal directly opposite to the reels of explosive tags. Kushina herself was not without wounds, sporting a plethora of bruises on her left side and a cut down her right arm. Similarly, Jinpachi's shins were bloodied from where he had strained against the Kusari that Kushina had used to bind him at one point. All the surrounding shinobi fought their own battles, refraining from entering the struggle between the two powerful nin.

"You know, I'm glad we finally got a look at you, stupid bitch!" Jinpachi taunted, and Kushina fought to remind herself that this foul-mouthed imbecile was actually the Kirigakure no Nikuya {Butcher of the Hidden Mist}, an incredibly dangerous A-Ranked ninja. "We've spent so long trying to figure out what the fuck you look like, and finally here you are!"

That was understandable, really. After the incident with Kumo, the Sandaime had placed Kushina under strict surveillance, preventing any information about her from leaving the village. Not long after she had reached jōnin rank, she had joined the ANBU, and become notorious as a masked figure on the battlefield, never showing her face. Of course, there were no other Uzumaki in Konoha barring herself, so the cover had its flaws, but with Jiraiya using his spy network to throttle any rumours leaving the village, Kushina's identity remained unknown - for the most part - outside of Konoha. Instead, she was Konoha no Kusari-Teikiatsu {Chain Cyclone of the Leaf}.

"Well, I always knew to look out for your ugly mug, _Nikuya_," she mocked, and enjoyed the threatening growl she received in response. Jinpachi leaped at her, swinging Shibuki down sharp-side first, in an effort to cleave her head in half. Kushina dodged nimbly, using her Kongō Fūsa to pull her elsewhere.

Twisting to the right as she moved, Kushina laid her hand against Jinpachi's side, intoning the name of her technique as she did so. "Fūinjutsu: Chakura Baindo (Sealing Art: Chakra Bind)!" The sudden nature of the attack, coupled with the immediate lack of control of his chakra, stunned Jinpachi, and in that moment she struck.

Kushina brought her blade around in a slash, not bothering to coat it with Katon chakra since the natural poisons on the blade would be negated by that, and Jinpachi dodged as she expected, but not quickly enough. Kushina's blade connected with the left side of Jinpachi's face, cleaving a bloody swath across his skin where his eye once rested. As he cried out in pain, two Kiri-nin dropped down and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You'll regret this! You and your kindred!" Jinpachi snarled as he and his blade were carried away by his subordinates. Just as Kushina went to follow him and complete the job, however, another figure alighted the ground in front of her, wielding the blade Hiramekarei. A man with spiky red hair and cold black eyes, set in a pale, slim face.

Uzumaki Kazohiko.

* * *

><p><strong>One and a Half Weeks Previously<strong>

* * *

><p>Hiruzen sighed sadly - a new habit, as of late - as he stared at the amassed, bickering genin.<p>

Nara Shikamaru. Heir to the Nara Clan and a lazy genius, just like so many of his clansmen were. The boy was pretty much a younger clone of his father, barring a softening of his features courtesy of his genes from his mother, Yoshino. Pretty much a guaranteed success in his current escapade - and pretty much the only one, at that.

Yamanaka Ino. Heiress to the Yamanaka Clan, and perhaps not the most serious kunoichi around, but with a peculiar passion for working with plants. As the daughter of Inoichi, she also likely had a predisposition towards T & I, but it was perhaps a tad early to be considering that as a future for her, yet. She was also one of the more risky of his gambles, but one that could pay off well if addressed correctly.

Akimichi Chōji. Heir to the Akimichi Clan, and perhaps the very embodiment of the Clan's eating habits. The boy had significant self-esteem issues, but had inherited the incredible kindness of his predecessors. He was one of the few in the Academy that had been at least somewhat friendly with Naruto, and as such would likely prove to be one of the safest gambles of the group.

Inuzuka Kiba. A rather brash boy, not unlike Naruto barring the presence of Clan training and a loving family. Definitely not amongst the most intelligent, but one of the closest things to a 'friend' Naruto had been able to gain in the Academy. Of course, as a shinobi of the Inuzuka Clan, he was unfailingly loyal, and he personally would grow to be reasonably influential within the Clan, as the Clan Head's only nephew. He was... another risk, and perhaps not the most worthwhile one, either. But regardless, he was one of the next generation, and thus necessary.

Hyūga Hinata. Heiress to the Hyūga Clan, and perhaps their greatest hope. Or at least, the hope of the 'Branch' Family. Possessing a rare kindness and empathy in a clan where such things were considered practically heretical, especially by her own parents and grandparents, Hinata was incredibly timid and shy. He had heard the whisperings within the Clan, of course - rumour had it that only Hiashi's rapidly declining goodwill was preventing the girl from being branded with the Hyūga Sōke no Juinjutsu (Hyūga Main Family's Juinjutsu). She held a fondness for Naruto, which hopefully meant she would be one of the safer gambles amongst the amassed genin, although Sarutobi couldn't be sure.

Aburame Shino. Son of the representative to the Aburame Joō, although there was no obvious indication that he possessed the same level of talent as his father. A quiet, stoic individual, much like the rest of his Clan, Shino was likely to prove little obstacle in this endeavour, due to his nigh-infallible logic.

Haruno Sakura. A young kunoichi who, while possessing rather small chakra reserves, also had perhaps the greatest chakra control seen in the village since Tsunade herself. She was exactly in the middle of her Academy Class, being highly skilled in mental components but lacking in the physical. She could be a dangerous medic-nin and genjutsu user, when she was older, as long as she was trained properly. She was also one of the greatest risks in the group, but also one of the highest paying ones, should he succeed.

Uchiha Sasuke. The supposed last loyal Uchiha. The most powerful of his class in regards to sheer chakra and jutsu. While the boy's father had been in the process of arranging to have the raven-haired preteen graduate the Academy early when the man died, the Sandaime had been forced to place such plans on the side for a time, after it became clear that the young Uchiha's mental state was not what it once was. Sasuke was one of the least risky of his planned gambles, surprisingly, because of his relation to the blond, albeit distantly.

Sarutobi sighed. He was playing politics with children. What was the world coming to?

In the tree line, Hiruzen could detect the chakra of the three teams' respective sensei - Yūhi Kurenai, Hatake Kakashi and his own son, Asuma. For the most part, they weren't much of a gamble, although the Hokage was aware that the latter and especially the former of the three generally did not approve of the village jinchūriki. After all, Asuma was quite smitten with Kurenai, and the kunoichi was disinclined to have anything to do with the blond, especially since the last member of her family, her brother Arashi, had been publicly executed for an attack on the blond, in _broad daylight_. And it would have ended much worse than it did, too, if not for the timely intervention of his old friend Kagami's descendant.

Using a simple Shunshin (Body Flicker) to appear before the amassed genin, the Sandaime smiled slightly at the sight of them all. _'They shall be great.'_

"Hokage-sama!" Sakura exclaimed, rising to her feet and bowing to the man, followed shortly afterwards by the rest of the next generation.

"Ah, Sakura-chan," the man replied lightly, and the girl blushed at being under the legendary shinobi's scrutiny. "You may be at ease," he continued, addressing the group at large, and they slowly, carefully, did so. Regardless, a minute stirring lay within their young forms now, and Hiruzen smothered his smile's attempts to grow into a flat-out grin._ 'Great indeed.'_ "I have called you all here today to discuss the missing member of your graduating class."

"Oh, that's right!" the exuberant Inuzuka interrupted, his eyes alight with sudden epiphany as he scanned the surrounding area for signs of the missing blond. Dodging the Yamanaka's swipe at the back of his head as she grumbled about 'troublesome, disrespectful mutts', followed by horrified mutters about 'turning into Shika', the brunet continued. "Where is that baka, anyway? Sleeping in, I'd guess," he claimed haughtily, completely missing the glares that the aforementioned jinchūriki's teammates were giving him.

"Naruto is in a coma," Hiruzen interjected, quickly stemming the flow of mutterings from amongst the genin. Again, all attention was on him, although all those present seemed to be somewhat caught-up in their own shock. Continuing on, the Shinobi no Kami prayed that his gamble would pay off. "Team 7 was sent on a mission that was incorrectly ranked. Throughout the mission, Naruto was... _influenced_, and has fallen into a coma. Currently, his godmother is being called back to the village so that he can be treated."

"A-Ano, Hokage-sama," the soft-spoken Hyūga heiress asked, looking up from beneath blue-black bangs to gaze at the man questioningly. At his nod, she amassed her courage and continued. "I tho-thought Naruto-kun grew up alone, Hokage-sama, s-so... w-why did his godmother not return sooner, to r-raise him?" she asked simply, and it was a question Hiruzen didn't like the answer to.

He grimaced, the lines around his face deepening as the preteens all suddenly gazed at their leader in interest. "Naruto-kun's godmother lost much throughout her life, as did his godfather," he replied, genuine sadness coating his words. "I think the loss of Naruto's parents was what finally drove them off the edge. They had both lost very much, especially during the previous Shinobi World Wars, and to lose those two as well... I think they couldn't deal with the reminder." Not entirely true - he doubted Tsunade was even aware of Naruto's continued existence. He had never been able to bring himself to contact her again, not when she had so willingly abandoned the village. Doubly so, since she was scant metres from the gates when she turned around and left again. He had long felt that Naruto deserved better than to have such a dysfunctional pair of guardians. And, admittedly, a small part of it was the need for the village's jinchūriki to remain entirely local and loyal. Tsunade's rebellious streak may very well have shaped him into something utterly unreliable.

"That's cowardly," the Yamanaka heiress interjected suddenly, and all attention was drawn to her. She didn't seem to notice, as she was staring resolutely at her leader. "It's hardly fair to anyone to ignore them, simply because they bring up bad memories. Especially a child left in your care." The blonde was steadily growing more heated in her arguing, and Hiruzen was almost willing to say he already had her. _'Now for the others.'_

"Indeed it is," he agreed easily, although it was understandable, too. All of his students had lost most of their close family and friends. He often wondered, actually, what would have happened if he or someone else had better filled the void in Orochimaru's life, after the loss of his parents. "But regardless, it is how it is. What I need to speak to you all about is something slightly different."

At the raised hand of Nara Shikamaru, Sarutobi nodded slightly, already having an idea as to what the boy would ask. "Hokage-sama, you mentioned that Naruto was... _influenced_?" he inquired, and the eyes of the other genin widened, realising the vital information that they had missed. Well, bar Shibi's son. The Sandaime suspected that the boy simply hadn't gotten around to mentioning it, yet.

Hiruzen nodded, humming softly before forming a hand seal. Beside him, a Kage Bunshin materialised. Immediately, Hiruzen removed a scroll from his robes. "What is this?" he asked simply, and knew even without checking that the first hand to rise belonged to the Haruno girl. "Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"That's a scroll, Hokage-sama," she said, gesturing at the object. "In general, they're used as simple storage devices, but skilled fūinjutsu users are capable of using them for other things, such as sealing chakra or placing summoning matrices on them."

"That's correct, Sakura-chan," he responded, directing the Bunshin to begin the demonstration. Both stepping to the side a little, the Bunshin unleashed a Katon: Karyū Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet) at the original. Ignoring the gasps of the genin at the high-level technique, Sarutobi opened the scroll and made a single handseal. The attack was absorbed into the readily-prepared scroll neatly, entirely vanishing just as the Bunshin dispersed. Walking back over to the genin, he held up the scroll, making sure to allow them to see the sealing matrix placed on its surface. "And now?" he questioned simply, eyes scanning the amassed preteens, gauging their reactions.

"A scroll with a Katon ninjutsu sealed inside of it, Hokage-sama," the Aburame boy replied. Hiruzen almost frowned, but instead settled for raising an eyebrow.

"And does that make it any less of a scroll, Shino-kun?" the Sandaime questioned.

"Of course not, Hokage-sama," Shino replied, nodding his head in capitulation. "Why? Because being a scroll is inherent to its nature, and cannot be changed, regardless of the strength of that contained within." Hiruzen grinned triumphantly - internally, of course. "Although," the Aburame added, seemingly contemplative for a fleeting moment. "It does increase the scroll's potential for battle, but besides that, it changes nothing."

Hiruzen frowned as he prepare to drop his next bombshell, considering again his gamble. _'Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained...'_

"What..." he trailed off, meeting eyes with all of the next generation present, "if the same could be said of people?"

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback - End<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Uploaded 16th September<strong>

**(1) I follow Fanon to an extent on the whole 'Council', thing. They certainly exist, as Canon indicates. However, I consider Homura and Koharu to be 'executive advisors', whereas the others make up the Go-Ikenban as a whole, or 'Honoured Opinion Watch'. So it is slightly different than in Canon, but not overly so, and I personally believe that not all Clans would happily roll over and let the Hokage make all the decisions. Hence why an expanded Go-Ikenban is needed. Regardless, though, they're mainly figureheads. The Hokage runs the show, and there will be no evil, meddling council in this. Evil, meddling, Council members, however… :)**

**(2) Urgh, translations are hard, especially for someone that dropped (not out of choice!) Japanese as an elective at school many years ago. I _believe_ that danchō translates as 'Commander of the Legion', but I honestly have no idea. If anyone knows a _reliable_ translation service from English to Rōmaji, which includes the accents (as in 'ō' instead of 'ou') then if you'd be kind enough to link it, I will pledge my firstborn child to your brilliance.**

**(3) For a full explanation, refer to my profile (RANTS section). Now, since (if memory serves) Team 7 had existed for a month prior to being sent to Nami no Kuni, and they spent two weeks between departing Konoha and completing the mission, followed by the week between then and the scene of the Flashback, I feel it's safe to assume that around 8 weeks have transpired since Canon started, or 4 fortnights, and from the 'current' timeline of the scene with Jiraiya and Tsunade, that's just an additional two weeks. Thus, current events take place in early March, leaving two and a half months between now and the Chūnin Exams Arc.**

**(4) AGAIN. PLEASE NOTE. FOR FUCKS SAKE. THIS IS NOT A HAREM FANICTION. REPEAT. REPEAT. REPEAT. THIS IS NOT A HAREM FANFICTION. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY 0 HAREM GOING ON HERE. NONE. ZERO. NADA. ZILCH. OH GOD GUYS HOW CAN I MAKE IT MORE OBVIOUS?!**

**As always, thanks for reading! Catchya next time.**


	4. A Hero Awakens

**INHERITANCE, a Naruto fanfiction**

**AU. Naruto's reality is tipped on its head when the mission to Nami no Kuni goes awry. With a set of fresh, untempered skills and a thousand scattered glimpses into tragedies past, is it any wonder he's struggling to remember how to live? (And if he never does... Well, who needed hope anyway?)**

* * *

><p><strong>"FALLOUT" - INHERITANCE ARC #1<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Naruto wakes up this chapter, and we get the Rookies' reactions to the story of the jinchūriki! So, reaction chapter with some crucial details added in. Long in bits with rehashingreactions, but that's necessary. Speed truly picks up next chapter. So - enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Tsunade shivered slightly as she crossed the threshold into Konohagakure, violently repressing the disgust and anger that rose to the boil inside her. This place may not be her home anymore, but it was the home of her godson, and her deceased family, so she would deal with it.<p>

Things were... _different_ in Konoha. The layout had changed - likely due to the damage dealt by the Kyūbi during its attack - but overall, the village was recognisable as the place she had fled 21 years prior. The place her grandfather had built, granduncle had protected, sensei served, parents had valued over their own lives, brother had hoped for, and lover had died for. The place that several of her loved ones - grandmother, mother, cousin - themselves had _died _in.

Tsunade shivered again. Jiraiya lifted an arm to rub her back consolingly, but she shrugged off the contact with a glare and a chakra-enhanced flick that had the Toad Sage wincing. He shrugged it off quickly, though, grinning. "Come on, we better get to sensei's office! To see our godson!" he exclaimed.

Tsunade clamped a hand over the fool's mouth. "Quiet, you baka," she hissed. "Are you _trying_ to paint a target on his back?" So far, they had passed mostly unnoticed - likely due to the ANBU squad behind them casting a potent genjutsu around them - but Tsunade wasn't going to take any chances. She'd been fully briefed on everything that had happened to Naruto, and she was eager to get to the hospital to see to him. Behind her, Shizune buzzed with anticipation. Although the girl hadn't spent too long with Tsunade and Kushina before the former departed Konoha, she still remembered the Uzumaki woman fondly. Seeing Kushina's son was something she had always wanted to do. Regardless, Shizune would be required to wait outside the office as Sarutobi sealed it off with powerful fūinjutsu.

A few moments later found the two Sannin opening the door to the Sandaime's office, once called. Jiraiya had tried -_ tried_ - to enter via the window, but Tsunade had leapt in his way and drop-kicked him back down to the street.

He'd changed tack pretty quickly.

Before them, behind the desk placed in the large, circular office - rebuilt in some places, by the looks of things, since massive amounts of damage had been dealt to the building by the Kyūbi when it attacked the village - sat the Sandaime, old hat and all. Looking up at the two of them, he smiled. "Tsunade-hime. It is good to see you again," he said.

He looked... old. Impossibly so. Her grandmother, aged significantly after sealing the Kyūbi within herself, could have passed as only a few years older than the man before her looked. The years had not been kind to the Shinobi no Kami {God of Shinobi}.

But she could still feel it. The strength of his chakra, the formidable gleam in his eyes, even if they were both watered down and less prominent than they were last she saw him, over two decades prior. He seemed tired, but she could also see the anger that always burned within him, as it did all of their team - a bitter, all-encompassing anger at the cruelty of reality. It was better repressed than last time she saw him, however - it seemed age had mellowed him.

She nodded once, only just on the right side of curt. As good as it was to see him, she wouldn't become emotionally involved. He was Hokage - he was destined to die a fool's death, eventually. "Sensei."

The two stared at each other for a time, in a battle of wills often held in their better years, and in better circumstances. Jiraiya interjected, "How is he? No improvement?"

The Sandaime sighed, and seemed to age even _more_, as if that were possible. "No change, although I have taken it upon myself to begin arranging things for when he awakens..."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback - Two and a Half Weeks Previously<strong>

* * *

><p>Nara Shikamaru had always been intelligent. He didn't particularly care for it - he preferred doing nothing, really, and over-thinking things was definitely <em>something<em> - but he could draw connections and conclusions with a speed his teammates and comrades would likely never match.

_"What... if the same could be said of people?"_

What did the Sandaime mean by that? Shino's observations had been spot-on. Sealing something, especially a powerful Katon ninjutsu, within a scroll would increase the combat capability of said scroll, but wouldn't change the overall nature of the scroll.

So, to make the same be true of people...

_'Would mean sealing things... inside of people. Is that what the Sandaime is saying? Is such a thing possible?'_

Of course, to an extent they already knew. They had been told, in the past, of how experienced fūinjutsu masters could place seals on skin, although only for simple things like storage. But the Sandaime, the Shinobi no Kami, the 'Professor', would surely know that they had already learnt this.

So where did that leave them?

If it's not sealing jutsu into a person, then what?

And for some reason, Shikamaru had a suspicion that the answer had something to do with Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

><p>Haruno Sakura had always been bright. Maybe not as much as Shikamaru, Shino or Sasuke-kun, but she was intelligent. So she understood what the Hokage was saying. <em>'Sealing something within people... sealing something within...'<em> Unbidden, memories of the incident at the bridge came to mind. Of that horrible chakra her teammate exuded, and the way his chakra seemed to be in flux, his coils expanding constantly. Could a seal do that? Did somebody seal something into Naruto?

And that thought made her think. If so, when did the sealing happen? Why? And did it have something to do with how everyone treated him? Her mother had been rather indifferent towards Naruto, but her father had been... well, not so much _hostile_ as simply _not friendly_. And not only her own parents - Sakura had seen other people around the village mistreating Naruto. Despite how he always seemed to be happy, Sakura had seen some of those times when he was truly, deeply sad.

She had forgotten - or rather, allowed herself to forget - that Naruto had endured so much on the side when they were kids. An indescribable guilt struck her, twining itself around the imagined visage of her comatose teammate. Sure, Naruto had his moments of stupidity, and the way he harassed her was _annoying_, but she would not wish the way people treated him upon anyone, least of all someone as eternally cheerful as Naruto. Even over the almost-week since the mission to Nami no Kuni {Land of Waves}, Sakura had felt the void in her team created by Naruto's absence. It was like missing a limb. They _were_ missing a limb, and it had felt so very, very strange.

Again, as it often did of late, Sakura was reminded of the incident on the bridge. The horror of seeing the slumped, bloodied forms of her teammates...

_'No! No more! Kakashi-sensei has been training us in chakra control, physical strength and our fundamental techniques. I won't fail Naruto... I won't fail _either of them_ again!'_

Inspired by her new-found drive, Sakura nodded once to herself. Regardless, she had some questions in the meantime. "Is this related to that weird chakra Naruto had on the bridge, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked, not even noticing how Shikamaru's head snapped to look at her.

* * *

><p>Hiruzen knew one of them would figure it out. Naruto's role as jinchūriki was hidden so poorly as it was. It was somewhat of a miracle that they hadn't realised it long ago.<p>

What he _didn't_ expect, was that it would be the Haruno girl to drop the final clue to the puzzle for the young Nara. Those two could very well become a powerful team themselves, if they learned to work together. _'Ah, but that is the intention of this, isn't it? These are the new generation... they must be ready for the burdens that shall fall upon their shoulders.'_

"Chakra?" the Nara heir questioned, flitting his intense gaze between Hiruzen and the young pinkette. "Naruto has a 'weird' variant of chakra?"

Sarutobi nodded. "Indeed, Shikamaru-kun, Sakura-chan. Naruto-kun is the village's jinchūriki." And how he _hated_ that word. It seemed entirely unfair to call an unwilling victim such an unreasonable title as 'the power of human sacrifice'. At least Mito-sama had sealed the Kyūbi within herself willingly, and Kushina had not minded too much. Naruto was just an infant born to unfortunate circumstances.

It was Sasuke that took up the conversation. "Jinchūriki? What is that?" The young heir's voice was as filled with emotion as it could get, and in it Sarutobi heard one thing - frustration. It seemed the boy wanted a straight answer.

Hiruzen was more than happy to give him one.

"A jinchūriki is an individual who has had one of the nine bijū sealed inside of them," the Hokage answered. In response, he heard a chorus of gasps.

* * *

><p>At the same time his old Academy classmates were learning something new about him, Naruto experienced another memory from Mito's perspective.<p>

Naruto-Mito ran through the corridors of the Uzumaki Clan's Fortress in Hi no Kuni, arriving at their father's office and bursting in, not even bothering to knock.

"Mito!" her father exclaimed, harsh and reprimanding, but Mito couldn't bring herself to care. Panic and desperation churned in her gut as she looked between her father and the kunoichi in the room, looking between the two expectantly.

"Well?" she queried, worst-case scenarios being violently suppressed in her mind, because _no_, it couldn't happen. '_Uzumaki Hoshihiro would not die so easily.'_ "What news?"

Tadashi sighed, and gazed sadly at his eldest daughter. The scout, however, was the one to respond. "It appears that the valley has collapsed in on itself. We only managed to spend a few moments there before the Uchiha and Hyūga swarmed the area. It turned into a battlefield quickly, and judging by the multiple Uzumaki and Senju bodies there already, there may not even be anything left to save," the kunoichi sighed sadly, bowing to her superior and the now-Clan Heiress. "By your leave, Tadashi-sama." At the Uzumaki man's nod, the woman departed.

Mito was numb. It wasn't possible. Uzumaki Hoshihiro was a legend in the Elemental Nations - one of the most powerful shinobi in the nations. A man who once bore the Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains), prior to passing the elusive gene along to his eldest son, although the latter was incapable of wielding it. He couldn't possibly be _dead_. Suddenly, worry gripped her heart. Her father had always been more ruthless than her grandfather, and she had never really gotten along with the man. Whereas Hoshihiro was reluctant to hand her over to the Senju, Tadashi would easily allow it, with a smile on his face.

"The alliance is to go ahead," her father said to her, as if he could read her mind, and her heart dropped.

Suddenly, time stilled, and two forms appeared before Naruto.

_'Mito,'_ he thought in shock, staring at the first before turning to the second. _'Kushina.'_

"Huh? What is going on?"

* * *

><p>"A bijū, Hokage-sama?" Chōji asked, his voice subdued. "How is that possible?"<p>

Sarutobi sighed. "The bijū are masses of chakra, and thus cannot be killed. In the past, members of the Uzumaki Clan used their powerful fūinjutsu to seal the bijū into different mediums, to no avail - inanimate objects could only hold them for a short amount of time, and lesser organisms either could not handle the strain of having bijū chakra tainting the body, or immediately fell to their primal instincts and ceded control to the beast. A theorist in the field, named Mito, eventually found herself in an incidence where the Kyūbi could, and indeed _needed_ to be sealed away for good. With no suitable alternative, Mito sealed the bijū within herself. Mito was, of course, known to the village as Senju Mito, the wife of the Shodai Hokage. In time, when Mito approached the end of her lifespan, a child was chosen to become the next host. It was Mito's actions that set the precedent for sealing bijū within people, which is now commonplace throughout the nations which have possession of one of the nine."

A light buzz of whispers arose from the young genin, and Sarutobi allowed them this short respite to collect their thoughts. It was broken swiftly, however, by the Nara of the group. "Cannot be killed..." the boy whispered, and Hiruzen almost winced. He hadn't intended to let that much slip before he could lead up to it in a more gradual manner. "Naruto is the host of the Kyūbi?" Shikamaru exclaimed a moment later, incredulity written across his face.

The expressions on the faces of the genin - shock, confusion, and horror - were not at all comforting to the Sandaime, who immediately intervened.

"The word 'host' is only true to a certain degree, Shikamaru-kun. Naruto can be compared to the fūinjutsu scroll from my example. He bears a seal, and contains a considerable power of a less forgiving nature than himself, but is no less human for it. He is simply a means of confining the bijū, but he can call upon its chakra and abilities at will, as long as he is trained to be capable of such," the Hokage responded harshly. He needed to disillusion them as to _that_ immediately. It would do no good if they were to think Naruto was merely an avatar of the Kyūbi's will. Such was the reason for his Katon (Fire Release) ninjutsu sealing demonstration - to aptly depict the nature of the relation between bijū and jinchūriki.

"Jinchūriki are severely mistreated," he continued, allowing true sadness to colour his tone. "Many go insane from the way they are treated. Naruto himself has been largely spared the physical abuse some of his counterparts have had to deal with, but has instead been the target of much scorn from the villagers. His pranks were his manner of reacting to this."

The Inuzuka stared up at the Hokage in shock. "That's why he played his pranks?" the boy seemed ever so slightly incredulous, and the Hokage chuckled in spite of himself.

"To an extent, yes. However, part of it may have been inherited from the prank-like nature of his mother. I do remember her once having her teammate, Aburame Shibi, enlist the help of several hundred fleas and set them down on the Inuzuka compound like a plague..." Several of the genin laughed outright at the thought, and Kiba himself paled slightly. The incident had become an urban legend within the village, of how a 'demonic habanero' had descended upon the Inuzuka Compound with her 'brainwashed sidekick' to deliver pain upon the ninken-using Clan. Sarutobi sobered slightly with his next thought, however. "Naruto was the subject of physical abuse in several incidences throughout his life, however. For the most part, he has repressed these memories, or aspects of them that he subconsciously deems to be overtly negative. Because of this repression, especially the extent of it, Naruto has not matured at a normal pace."

"Why Naruto-kun?" the Hyūga girl queried quietly, sadly, and the Sandaime let loose another great sigh of air. _'This is turning into a habit.'_

"A great many reasons, Hinata-chan, not all of which I am at liberty to discuss with you. Primarily, it was because Naruto's mother was the host before him, and lost her life on the day of Naruto's birth. It was this event that triggered the Kyūbi attack." A minor fabrication, but he felt no need to share the fact that it was Naruto's birth which _caused_ the Kyūbi attack at this time. It would do no help to anyone. "Furthermore, a bijū can only be sealed within a young child, or a descendent of a clan with a particular affinity for that bijū, the latter of which is - in and of itself - uncommon. Only the developing chakra coils of a child can hope to adapt to and hold the strength of a bijū. Mito's case was unique, both in that she possessed an incredible life-force, and she managed to use a theoretical iryō-ninjutsu to accelerate her healing factor, at a cost of significantly shortening her lifespan. I am told that, by the time the damage was undone to Mito-sama's body, she had aged over a decade."

Shikamaru hummed in thought, frowning. "So, Naruto had an... affinity for the Kyūbi, since his mother was its host before him?" In response, the Sandaime nodded.

"Hokage-sama..." Sakura suddenly interjected, frowning. "Did you say Uzumaki Clan?"

The Sandaime blinked. He'd thought they'd missed that.

* * *

><p>Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what to think.<p>

Naruto was the host of a bijū. A _bijū_! To have all that power at your fingertips...

He shook himself slightly. It changed little. Naruto was related to him by blood. They were kindred, and Sasuke would do well to remember that. He had spent hours - hours! - scouring the Uchiha Clan's records, trying to find who Naruto's family were, and he still had no idea. Why had Naruto not been taken in by the Uchiha? He _was_ an orphan, after all. Why was he not taken in by his family?

In another part of his mind, he raged. He remembered the way Naruto had been treated. How he had suffered. And now, he knew why. It was a circumstance entirely beyond his control. It would be like Sasuke being attacked and glared at in the streets simply because he survived the Uchiha massacre. It made absolutely no sense, and it was needlessly cruel. It sounded like something that-

That _that man_ would do.

Sasuke growled lowly, almost imperceptibly.

Worse still, they had kept Sasuke from the last of his kindred, his family. They had purposefully kept two lonely orphans away from each other, ignorant of how closely related their suffering was. How _dare_ they?

"Did you say Uzumaki Clan?"

Sasuke blinked. _'What?'_

That... made a lot of sense, actually. If Naruto was also descended from another clan, then it stood to reason that he would never have been recorded amongst the Clan's population registers. It also meant that his ancestor had likely been disowned, meaning that they too would not appear on the population register, except for in passing. But that was also a foot in the door for Sasuke - there was _also_ a register of banished Clan members dating back for the last century. For the most part, it was a fairly barren list, but there were two glaring exceptions; Uchiha Yusu, Sasuke's own great aunt who was disowned posthumously, and of course Uchiha Madara himself, among a select few others. Sasuke had taken great pleasure in etching Itac- _that man's_ name into the list, written in the younger's own blood.

A fate for a traitor, sealed and sworn in the blood of an Avenger. But not enough; no, never enough. Even when his head decorated Sasuke's home, it would not - _could not_ - be enough.

But Sasuke was wandering off on a tangent.

The Sandaime responded. "The Uzumaki were a Clan of powerful shinobi. They were specialists in fūinjutsu. You would know them as the founders of the Roku no Hogokoku {Protectorate of the Six}, and Uzushiogakure no Sato {The Village Hidden in the Whirling Tides}."

Sakura gasped, and Sasuke had never seen her look so delighted than she did in that moment. Not even when he had held his hand out to help her up after a spar earlier that week. And _that_ had surprised both of them. This time, however, she had that gleam in her eyes that screamed of the wonder of new knowledge.

He understood her shock, though, and several of the other genin seemed similarly surprised. The Roku no Hogokoku were an Alliance of six shinobi Clans that formed Konoha's sister-village, Uzushiogakure. Not much was taught about Uzushio during the Academy, except that the Alliance had fractured in a spectacular fashion, with one of the Clans, a fragment of the Hōzuki, re-joining with their kindred in Mizu no Kuni in the opening battle of the Second Shinobi World War. Many of the Roku no Hogokoku had defected after the battle, and only the Kohaku had continued its alliance with Konoha after Uzushio's fall.

"The Uzumaki were a special Clan," the Sandaime continued, smiling. "They possessed incredible forces of life, and a chakra and physical prowess unparalleled. Technically, the Uzumaki chakra and genes are a kekkei genkai of their own, and they tend to overwhelm the genes from other Clans as time goes on, leaving only the Uzumaki base traits. Both Naruto's mother and Senju Mito were originally kunoichi of the Uzumaki Clan. And now," here, the man seemed to age slightly, sighing sadly. "Now, Naruto is the last of his Clan. Much like you, Sasuke-kun."

Shock pierced Sasuke, running its cold fingers across his bones. He honestly wasn't even sure if he was breathing. _'Naruto... is like me? The last of his Clan... he knows the same struggles, the same pain?'_

But no, he wouldn't. Uzushio had fallen a long time ago. Naruto had always been the last Uzumaki. Sasuke stopped that train of thought before it even got started.

Still. Naruto was closely descended from the Uchiha, then. Otherwise, he wouldn't have the Sharingan.

Sasuke resolved himself to go back home and check over the records, to find out just _how_ closely.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi looked over the genin around him and assessed their reactions.<p>

Aburame Shino. Cool, calm and collected as ever. One of the ones for Sarutobi to watch out for, certainly.

Inuzuka Kiba. Shocked, disgusted, intimidated, a maybe a little jealous. Not the best reaction, but not the worst, either.

Hyūga Hinata. Shocked and quiet, and seemingly unsure. Not at all positive. In fact, he had hoped for much more from the girl. **(1)**

Akimichi Chōji. Appalled, highly shocked, a little frightened and mildly hungry. Not the best, again, but also by far not the worst, and to be expected, to an extent.

Nara Shikamaru. Shocked, contemplative, and mildly disgusted. Probably about as close to a resounding vote of support for Naruto as he would get.

Yamanaka Ino. Appalled, angry, disgusted. A perfect reaction. It seemed that some of the gambles really did pay off.

Haruno Sakura. Appalled, shocked, a little scared - which was, in some ways, healthy - but overall, a good reaction. She wasn't baying for blood, like her father once had, which left the Sandaime optimistic of the outcome. She had been one of his greatest concerns in this group.

Uchiha Sasuke. Cool, calm and collected. To some the perfect example of apathy, but to the trained eyes of a Kage he was nothing. He was determined, and not afraid. Hiruzen could only hope for the best, then.

He breathed a sigh of relief. _'Well, just one last thing to do...'_ **(2)**

"You nine Rookie genin are the future of Konohagakure no Sato," he began, making sure that they were all paying attention to him before continuing. "You are the next generation, the Clan Heirs and Heiresses, the relatives of Konoha's elite. The influential, and the ones with the greatest potential. It is up to _you_, now, to lay claim to the torch that keeps the Will of Fire burning. To work in tandem to defend your homes and families against those who would seek to take them from you," he took a moment to internally wince at his choice of words, seeing Sasuke's face wipe itself entirely void of emotion. "It is your bonds with those beside you that will bring you through the darkness that shinobi life will hold for you, and on to greener pastures. Remember that. One day, you will need to count on those beside you to watch your back, just as they must entrust their weaknesses unto you for safeguarding.

"I'll allow all of you to head home for today. You've had much to take in." Hiruzen felt it prudent to warn them of one detail, however. "All that you have heard today is of S-Rank secrecy. Due to this, if any of you were to attempt to spread the information told to you today, I will be forced to have you summarily executed in secrecy," he said, staring hard at the amassed children.

A quiet lull fell on the genin at that, and several gulped. Judging by the glint in their eyes, however, they understood.

"You may leave," he concluded simply, and they nodded and departed, pensive.

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day<strong>

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is wise, sensei?" Tsunade inquired when the aged Kage finished speaking. "Can you trust these kids with such vital intelligence? With Naruto's secrets? I fail to see how that tale is yours to tell." She quietened, belatedly realising she had stepped too far.<p>

A wave of anger lapped over the edges of the Fire Shadow's control. He fixed his student with a piercing look, staring daggers into her skull. "You, _you_, would question the decisions of the Hokage? Need I remind you, Tsunade, that you are officially a _retired_ shinobi? You control_ nothing_ here, and do not mistake your place. You will find no forgiveness for your _abandonment_ of Konoha in her time of need here, Namekuji-hime {Slug-princess}." He too, had overstepped his bounds, he realised with an internal wince. It seemed the bitterness in his heart had received too much airing today.

Tsunade's face flushed an ugly shade of furious red, and a murderous scowl formed on her face. "You... _dare_ infer that I _abandoned_ this wretched place? After all it has stolen from me? My family has poured their _blood_ into the creation and protection of this accursed village! I will not pretend that I have forgiven it for its transgressions, _Sarutobi-sensei_!" Her final words were more mocking than anything else, her anger shattering her composure. Beneath her, the floor-tiles cracked as her foot slid slightly.

Jiraiya, playing the peacemaker - _for once_ - stepped in with a long-awaited question. "How did the Go-Ikenban {Honoured Opinion Watch} take this?"

Their old teacher sighed. Taking his time to explain himself, the Sandaime felt a little sliver of fear settle in his heart. _'This will not end well...' _Hiruzen finished reciting the events of the meeting of the Go-Ikenban, and suddenly felt a spike of killer-intent. A moment later, his desk shattered under the weight of Tsunade's fist.

"You agreed to _what_?" she grit out, unadulterated anger radiating off of the kunoichi in waves. Sarutobi began to sweat slightly as Jiraiya whimpered and edged away slowly from his old teammate.

"I agreed to the suggestion of Nara Shikaku to set a quota of heirs for Naruto, and the Uchiha heir Sasuke, to produce within their lifespans. The village cannot afford for the Sharingan to die off, and the Uzumaki Clan's chakra is too great a potential asset for us to ignore, especially the Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains)." Sarutobi didn't quite understand why his student was so worked up about this. Surely that wasn't too much to ask of Naruto?

"_Why?_" she growled, glaring at her former teacher. "Why Naruto? Hasn't he suffered enough?"

Sarutobi sighed. "It's not as easy as that. The Uchiha and Uzumaki are dying Clans, Tsunade, and there's only Sasuke and Naruto left of them. I can't protect Naruto from the Go-Ikenban on matters of internal politics - they're too good at it."

"If you could defend Tsunade and Kushina from this CRI thing, then why not Naruto? After all, the Senju and Uzumaki were dying Clans back then, too." It was actually Jiraiya who raised the question, frowning at his sensei in disappointment and frustration.

The Sandaime blinked.

Why couldn't he?

... why _hadn't_ he?

_'What on earth... Why... Why did I allow that?' _he thought in confusion, reviewing the conversation with the Go-Ikenban in his mind. He had gone in, intending to control the entire meeting, but had ended up remaining without much of a voice the entire time. Even though he had entered the chamber with the sole intention of taking command. For some reason, he had changed his mind and allowed others to control the meeting.

He had promised Minato and Kushina that he would protect Naruto. He had promised Itachi that he would protect Sasuke. So why had he allowed them to be objectified in such a manner by the Go-Ikenban?

He couldn't possibly comprehend why he had made such a change to his approach to internal policy.

_'This warrants further investigation. The only thing I can think of is that I was placed under the control of a jutsu of some sort... an incredibly powerful one, at that. But the only one I can think of which has such an effect... no, that can't be it... it must be something else.'_

"I... I don't... know."

Tsunade screeched in indignation. "What do you mean, you _don't know_? Is my godson afforded so little concern and thought that you don't even _remember_ confining his existence? You signed away his rights with a smile, and you dare claim that you don't know _why_? Is the fate of Konoha truly dependent on the _whims_ of its Hokage?" Her voice was equal parts furious and disgusted, with just a tinge of mocking mixed in. But her tongue had also betrayed her, for in her tone he could detect a slight - only slight - but present note of concern.

_'She cares more for Konoha than she lets on, perhaps. Either that, or part of her has realised, during her absence, the futility of blaming the village for the fates of her loved ones.'_ Of course, it could be neither, but Sarutobi had his hopes. They were all that kept him going, nowadays.

"I..." the Hokage brought his hands down to grip his teacup on instinct, only to find it shattered on the floor amongst the remnants of his desk. Coughing lightly to correct his error, he continued, studiously ignoring the furious gazes of both Tsunade _and_ Jiraiya. He ruthlessly buried the anger that tried to boil over once more. A shouting match would do no good, here. "I entered into the room with more drive, intending to achieve the best result for Naruto and take control of the meeting. But something changed, and made me more... malleable, and open to suggestions. In the end, I achieved the result that may have been best for the _village_, but not for Naruto, or Sasuke-kun."

And now that he thought about it, the same thing had happened in the past, too. Having an intention for the meeting, and then losing any semblance of control over it. But it was more than that. It was almost as if he _wanted_ to cede control of the meeting to other people. Why would that be?

"You think the Go-Ikenban had something to do with this?" Jiraiya questioned, watching his sensei closely. "Like they did the release of Naruto's status as jinchūriki."

Tsunade stiffened slightly. "What's this?" she asked, glaring between the two of them. "You allowed the Go-Ikenban such leeway?"

Hiruzen sighed. "It was before I officially reclaimed my position as Sandaime. The Go-Ikenban became as aware of Naruto's status as I did myself, and somehow, one of them spread the news. I ordered the T & I Department to try to track down the leakage, but to no avail," he replied, frowning.

"You suspect Danzō?" Jiraiya continued, probing. Hiruzen ignored the pain that struck his chest at the mere mention of the name. "You think he had something to do with this?"

Sarutobi sighed and nodded. "It seems the most likely. He spent much of the first few years after the Kyūbi attack attempting to garner support for taking Naruto under his wing, although I constantly rebuked him. He has since set his sights on Sasuke, although I have also rebuked those efforts as best I can. What I really want to know is _how_. But no matter, I shall investigate it. In the meantime, we must see to Naruto's health," he concluded, and led the two out of his office.

* * *

><p>Around an hour later found Tsunade alone with Naruto in his hospital room, having healed the damage to his mind as best she could. Shizune was off preparing their accommodation in the village, since the Senju Clan Compound was destroyed in the Kyūbi attack, and Jiraiya was off helping Sarutobi research how anyone, especially Danzō, could be controlling the Go-Ikenban and even the Sandaime to some degree.<p>

Tsunade sat in Naruto's hospital bed, having manoeuvred his body to rest comfortably with her godson's head in her lap.

This was what she had missed. She had gone through so much suffering in her life, lost so many people, but she had always deeply loved Shizune and Kushina, almost as daughters more than anything else. In many ways, she had raised both of them, and a part of her deeply missed the days when Kushina would wander into her bed at night, crying about the loss of her family. When Mito would stand in the door frame, smiling sadly at her two granddaughters.

And now, she could have that again.

But Naruto was different. He had suffered in his own, unique way, and come out of it. He had _survived_, against the odds, in defiance of a village that was out to get him. Hot, burning rage still churned in her gut as she thought of Sarutobi, and how he had done so little for her godson.

As she sat there, Naruto began to move slightly, stirring in wakefulness. Blinking up at her, his eyes glazed over for a moment, as if caught in a memory, before they widened. "Tsutsu-chan?" he asked softly, and the Slug Sannin's breath caught. Nobody had called her that since Mito died, and the thought of her old nickname still saddened her immensely. But in some ways, hearing it again was like salve to an old wound that she didn't even know still ached.

Tsunade recovered her composure slightly, smirking down at the boy. The effect was likely diminished by the light sheen of tears burning in her eyes. "How about just 'Tsunade-obasan {Aunt Tsunade}', Naruto?"

The boy tried sitting up, but Tsunade moved out from where she had been cradling his head and stood in a single, fluid movement, staring down at him. "Uh uh! You aren't getting out of that bed, gaki! You've been in a coma for over three weeks!"

Evidently, that was not the right thing to say, as he paled significantly and struggled a little more. Tsunade took the Mahi Fūin (Paralysis Seal) that Jiraiya had left behind and slapped it on Naruto's forehead, frowning down at him. "You're just as bad a patient as your mother, you know? Old Koyanagi used to have to attack her in the middle of the street, and bundle her away for her medical evaluations. Otherwise, she'd hide away and not turn up for days!" Tsunade stopped abruptly, humming. "I wonder how he managed that when she became an S-Rank kunoichi..."

Naruto, having absolutely no control over his own body, simply stared at Tsunade. She still knew he was listening, though. One of the few things that the Mahi Fūin spared was the lungs, and the target's control over them, so the increased rate of breathing likely indicated that he was listening.

"So, I don't know what memories you've gotten, and which you haven't, but I'm your godmother. I..." She wasn't quite sure what to say. How did other people do this? Then suddenly, she remembered the words her okaa-chan had taught her to live by. _'If in doubt, speak from the heart...'_ "I want you to know, Naruto, that I would have never, ever left you here alone if I had known that you survived that night. I... I've suffered so very much through my life, and lost all of my family, barring you, now. My relationship with your mother was strange... it was somewhere between the kind of bond between siblings, and that of mother and daughter. I... I loved your mother so very much, Naruto. She was my baby cousin, and she was such a beautiful contradiction, in her own ways. As stunning as a clear, sunny day to her loved ones, but with the rage of a storm to call upon in an instant. And even if we separated on poor terms, she still saw fit to allow me to be your godmother." Tsunade was running out of breath, but she kept going. He needed to hear this, and she needed to say it. "When I found out you were alive, and that I had abandoned my duties as your godmother for so long, I felt awful. Like I didn't deserve the honour, and in many ways, I don't. But... there is so much of myself caught up in my past. I can't move forward through it all - I've seen and endured too much - but if you would allow me to do my job, now, to make up for my greatest failing, then I would be honoured. I..." she struggled to say the next few words, her emotions all catching in her throat.

Eventually, she managed to say the words, though. "I would love to have you stay with me. With me and Shizune, and we can work together to help you through this. Through all you're going through. I promise," and here, she sat on the bed next to him, grabbed his hands and lay them in her lap, holding them dearly. "I will do everything I can to protect you. To care for you, nurture you. To _be there_ when you come home, like I should have all along. I am so, so _so_ sorry that I've failed you thus far."

He didn't respond. His eyes betrayed how startled he was, but he made no movement at all.

Frowning for a moment, she realised what was wrong and felt like a fool. Peeling the Mahi Fūin off of his forehead, he sat there, blinking slowly and working his jaw. Even when he stopped that, he was silent for several moments, which Tsunade endured with bated breath. Eventually, he spoke. "I... I'd like that," he replied, smiling slightly. His voice was quiet and somewhat lost, not like Kushina's, or even Mito's, for that matter. Kushina's was loud and boisterous and as warm as the summer sun. Mito's was long-suffering and even, but with a greater volume than most. Tsunade allowed a moment of thought for the difference, but realised that it was entirely logical. He'd gone through a lot in his short life, and now he was experiencing the memories - painful and otherwise - of Kushina and Mito.

Tsunade smiled at the boy.

This was not the godson described to her - not the way she had expected him to act - but that was to be expected. He was still her godson, however, and nobody would take him away from her.

* * *

><p>"Heya, Naruto!" Jiraiya exclaimed jovially, grinning down at the conscious boy. "Do you know who I am?"<p>

The blond had looked up at his approach, flanked by Tsunade, Koyanagi and Sarutobi, and stared. Just stared. Nothing more, nothing less. His eyes glazed over slightly for a moment, as if caught in a memory - which was likely - and then regained focus. After a moment of confusion, his eyes widened. "Ero-oji {Perverted Uncle}!" he said, returning his grin with one of his own. Behind a slack-jawed Jiraiya, Koyanagi and Hiruzen chuckled.

Tsunade grinned wolfishly. "I forgot how much I loved that nickname."

Jiraiya whimpered slightly in hurt. But, as always, he recovered quickly. "You wound me with your words, oh godson of mine! And besides, I'm too old to be your uncle, gaki!" He ignored the hurt that spread through his body at the thought of the only person to call him that. And with that, he quickly repressed the thought of how his unborn son with Aiko would have loved having a baby cousin. _'Not the time for _that_, thank you!'_

Naruto nodded in acquiescence, and then snapped his fingers in sudden epiphany. "Ero-kyōfu {Perverted Godfather}, then!"

Oh yeah. That was _so much better_.

Jiraiya grumbled slightly, but was ignored as his sensei moved on to more important topics. "How are you feeling, Naruto-kun?"

The boy seemed thoughtful for a moment, seeming to take his time with the question, which they all appreciated. The automatic response of 'Fine!' wouldn't cut it this time. Finally, he spoke, in a softer voice than he was known for. Almost... hesitant. "My head hurts, Saru-err... Saru-jijichan." He didn't seem to notice the snort of laughter on Tsunade and Jiraiya's parts as he continued. "I feel really confused and I keep getting little snippets of memories. And they're not all Mito-ōbaa's and kaa-chan's, either."

The Sandaime frowned. "What else is there, Naruto?"

"Well, sometimes I revisit some of my old memories. But I feel... different than I did. Like when Taka-nii saved me from that crazy chūnin. Except I felt more pain, and more anger, and..." the boy paled slightly. "More hatred," he finished in a whisper, horrified.

Hatred... was a natural reaction, in some cases. Especially after what Naruto had been through. The way he made it sound like he had never hated anyone before scared Jiraiya to no end.

But of course, Jiraiya knew what was going on, just as well as Sarutobi and Koyanagi did. Yamanaka Inoichi had informed them once of a split personality in Naruto's subconscious many years ago, borne of repressed memories and feelings. It seemed that those feelings were returning to prominence, which likely meant that the other personality was either dead or dying. But that opened up a whole new can of worms, since too much negative emotion towards Konoha would turn his godson against the village. He turned his eyes to meet the Sandaime's, and they nodded in unison. All they could do was hope that enough positive memories would emerge to combat the negative, and do what they could to create new bonds for him.

"Is there anything else, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, eying the boy in trepidation. If there was more to it, he wasn't actually sure he wanted to know.

_'No! Stop that!'_ he mentally snarled, berating himself. _'Those sorts of thoughts are why Naruto has spent this long alone. Toughen up, you old shit!'_

"No, not that I recall, Ero-kyōfu," the blond replied, frowning. Jiraiya almost let loose a sigh of relief.

"I'm curious how you knew that Mito was your great grandmother, Naruto-kun," Koyanagi interjected, drawing attention to the blond once again, who shifted somewhat in discomfort.

"I had a conversation with both of them," he admitted, recalling the conversation.

* * *

><p><strong>Three Weeks Previously<strong>

* * *

><p>"Huh? What is going on?" Kushina exclaimed, looking around her in shock. Her last memory was being impaled on...<p>

"NARUTO!" she shouted suddenly, eyes darting around her for any sign of her infant son. Immediately she drew up short.

They stood in a bright, open space, where the walls shone brightly with untraceable light. Not a shadow was present in the place, and it seemed to go on forever. In the space were three figures, one pale, red-haired and dark-eyed, dressed in an elaborate formal kimono tied with a green sash, hair done up in two buns held together by pins, both of which had sealing tags dangling from them. Atop her head she bore a golden headpiece, and she wore dark red lipstick and bore a purple diamond on her forehead. She also wore a pair of white geta.

Kushina herself had long red hair, done up in a ponytail and with a Konoha hitai-ate worn proudly on her forehead, two strands of hair framing each side of her pale face. She wore a dark green flak jacket, and beneath it a simple black, short-sleeved shirt and black pants that went to her calves, with bandages and a kunai pouch wrapped around the lower thigh of the right leg. Her feet bore black shinobi sandals, and on her waist was a white mask with a crab motif.

The last was a short figure, a young boy with spiky blond hair and startling blue eyes. He wore an orange jacket and pair of track pants, mixed with lines of blue occasionally and a white collar, and blue shinobi sandals. Both shoulders also bore a grey version of the Uzumaki spiral on them, and his right thigh was also tied with bandages and a kunai pouch. His tanned skin, short stature and bewhiskered cheeks were the most unique of his features, however.

Immediately, Kushina drew up short, staring at the youngest figure there in trepidation. "Naru...to?"

He blinked at her, startled. "Kushina?" he asked, and she frowned.

"She is your mother, Naruto-kun," the eldest Uzumaki commented, smiling softly. "We have been permitted a few moments to speak before the mindscape destabilises."

Naruto turned to the first woman, his eyes tearing up slightly. "K-kaa-chan?" he whispered. The woman, who looked rather startled, turned to him in turn and nodded, smiling softly. Without any conscious thought on the matter, they both launched themselves at each other. Mother and son met in a hug, both with tears flowing freely down their faces. _'So this is a mother's hug...'_ Naruto thought, smiling slightly. _'It's nice.'_

"We have little time," Mito interjected, although her tone was apologetic. She turned her gaze on Naruto and smiled slightly. "So you are my great-grandson."

Both mother and son took in a massive breath of air. "WHAT?!"

Mito winced faintly, clearing an ear out with a delicate finger. "It appears that some things are genetic... Well, no matter. Yes, Naruto-kun, I am your ōbaa-san. Uzumaki Atsushi was my illegitimate son, who was adopted - unknowingly - by his uncle, my brother Uzumaki Tsutomu," she said, and looked at Kushina as the woman choked slightly.

"You... you're really otō-san's mother?" she asked, shock apparent on her face. "We're actually related to Tsutomu-jiji so closely? And how are we even here, anyway, Mito-ōbasama?"

"Yes I am, and yes you are. Alas I am afraid we truly have little time. This connection shall last only for a few moments, before Sarutobi blocks the memories slightly for a more peaceable transition." Her voice was calm and strong, and both Uzumaki felt themselves driven to follow. She had a certain... charisma and intelligence about her, shown only to the extent where those who heard her speak would know it prudent to follow. So they nodded, listening. "The Kyūbi has merged the remnants of chakra left behind after it was extracted from us, Kushina, with Naruto-kun's own chakra. Whether it was aware of the possibility of this result coming to pass is unclear, but it has regardless." She seemed to hesitate for a moment, before continuing. "He is also reliving memories from our perspectives, which means he will likely suffer deeply from the procedure. I am sure that you, like myself, are not full of the happiest memories, Kushina, as much as I would have liked things to be otherwise."

Kushina nodded sadly in agreement, turning tentative eyes on her son. "I held a lot of hatred for Kirigakure and Kumogakure, sochi, and especially for the Yuki Clan. I am sorry that my burden has now fallen to you," she said, kneeling down to reach his level. "You should talk to Mikoto, Jiraiya or Tsunade, or maybe even Shibi, if you need to help sort through my memories."

Naruto frowned. "I... don't know who any of those people are, y'know. I think I remember the names Jiraiya and Tsunade from somewhere in class, but I don't know a Shibi… he's an Aburame, yeah? Like Shino. And Mikoto was an Uchiha… Sasuke is the last Uchiha... his entire family was killed..."

Kushina looked stricken for a moment, before a single tear fell down her face.

Mito continued. "It is unpleasant to hear of the fate of the Uchiha Clan," she noted, and Naruto could've sworn a hint of despair had seeped into her tone. "I have endured much over my life, Naruto-kun. If you need to talk to someone about your experiences in my memories, I would suggest Tsunade or Hiruzen. Amongst the living, they likely spent the most time with me." Suddenly, Mito's expression changed into something unrecognisable to him. "Tell me, do you know who Sasuke's parents were?" she asked, seemingly off on a tangent. A yearning for some kind of knowledge - of what, he wasn't sure - seeped into her voice, however.

"Uhm... I don't know, y'know?" he responded, frowning. "I think he was the son of the Clan Head though, now that I think about it."

A slight fire alit in her eyes, and she smiled but said nothing of it. Kushina snapped her fingers in realisation. "That's the name of Mikoto's son! Named for the Sandaime's father!"

Mito nodded in agreement. "I had thought as such. You may find that he is someone you can speak to also, Naruto-kun."

He snorted. "Why would I want to speak to that prick?" he asked, only semi-rhetorically. Suddenly, a fist collided with the top of his head, and Kushina - her expression dark and rather frightening - reprimanded him with a loud shout of "NO SWEARING, Y'KNOW!"

Naruto blinked at the woman, shielding his sore head with one hand. _'Y'know?'_

Mito laughed. "Naruto-kun, truly, it is much easier to break the shell of an Uchiha than one would think. You merely require patience, and consistency in your efforts. I should know - an Uchiha loves swiftly, and intensely, but is slow to show it. You many find you are more precious to Sasuke-kun than you think."

Naruto gagged. "You think he loves me?"

"In a purely platonic sense if he does, I am sure. Otherwise, it would be rather incestuous," Mito responded, smiling. "And if not yet, he may grow into it. You will likely find that his opinion of you will change, just as you yourself change. If he is truly the last of his kindred - aside from you, that is - then he will likely appreciate the company, even if he acts like he doesn't."

"What do you mean, aside from me?" he asked, frowning. "Or incestuous, for that matter. Doesn't that mean we're related by blood?"

"I have already said too much," she said, ignoring his questions. Beside him, Kushina also seemed confused at the elder Uzumaki's words. "We have only moments. It is best if you say your peace now, Kushina. We will likely be unable to converse with him again, as our memories are slowly absorbed."

Kushina nodded at her grandmother - and wasn't _that_ a strange thought - and knelt down in front of her son. As she did so, her form slowly faded into transparency. "Naruto-kun, I want you to know that the Kyūbi was sealed within you at no fault of your own. Minato and I have faith in you to be able to constrain it and harness its power. And no matter what, you will _always_ be our son. Nothing can take that away from you, y'know!" Her voice cracked, and her body was almost entirely gone, now. "And remember, we will always, always love you, Naruto!"

"H-hai, kaa-chan," he replied, grinning at her through tears. She, in turn, mirrored his expression, and then finally vanished entirely.

_'So, Minato is the name of my tou-san? Huh... where do I feel like I've heard that name before...?'_

"Naruto-kun," Mito called, her form now losing substance, much like Kushina's. "Do not fear the memories, let them call you, and embrace them! Remember - your comrades will always be there to support you, you need only return the favour in kind. I entrust the duty of constraining the Kyūbi unto you. And remember, your family will always love you!"

And with those parting words, she too was gone, and Naruto was crying, alone, as he was swept up in the memories again.

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day<strong>

* * *

><p>There was a slight intake of breath throughout the room at his announcement. <em>'They're both alive in that seal?'<em> "Mito-ōbaasama told me what was going on, and something about the Uchiha Clan."

"Do you know who Mito's lover was, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, pensive. It was something they'd spent a while contemplating, and...

"Some guy called Madara-chan," he replied, and the other occupants of the room choked.

_'Trust Mito-sama to call Uchiha Madara 'Madara-chan'!'_ Jiraiya thought, bursting out into laughter. He would later be informed by Sarutobi that it sounded mildly hysterical. Sarutobi, Koyanagi and Tsunade, on the other hand, were closer to hyperventilating.

"Naruto, do you have any idea who Uchiha Madara is?" Tsunade asked, incredulous. The boy blinked and shook his head, and Tsunade sighed. She took her time, filling him in on the details of Uchiha Madara and his role in Konohagakure no Sato, as the other three shinobi recomposed themselves and considered this new information.

After Tsunade's conversation with Naruto was finished – "You mean I'm related to one of the Founders?!" – it was back to question time.

"What kinds of memories have you experienced so far, gaki?" the Toad Sage inquired, frowning. If they could determine a pattern, then they could better help him acclimatise to them.

"Well, mostly from back when Mito-ōbaa and kaa-chan were young, and especially from Mito-ōbaa. But sometimes there's ones from when they were older," he said, voice still soft in a way that worried Sarutobi and Koyanagi both of whom had known a bright, exuberant child who was so very _different_ from this. Upon direction, Naruto outlined the prominent memories he'd experienced, and they all nodded, taking in the details. Among these were the memory of Madara and Mito in bed, Mito's meeting with Hoshihiro and Tadashi, Kushina's battle against Munashi Jinpachi, and many childhood lessons from when they were both kids, which explained Naruto's somewhat improved vocabulary.

"Is there anything else, Naruto?" Tsunade asked, serious. "Nothing you've forgotten to mention?"

The younger blond shook his head. "No, Tsunade-obasan. That's everything."

"Very well, just ensure that you inform us if you begin to worsen, Naruto-kun," the Hokage said, and Naruto nodded. "And if you have any questions about a memory you see, feel free to bring them to me." Again the youngest in the room nodded.

"We'll also need to organise a meeting with a member of the Yamanaka Clan, Naruto-kun," Koyanagi added, frowning. "It would be prudent to assess the level of damage done to your psyche."

The blond nodded slowly, then yawned. Immediately, Tsunade latched onto that. "Okay, no more business here. We're putting this kid to sleep. Get out of here you old fogies!" she pushed Jiraiya roughly, but the Toad Sage went with it regardless.

Turning back to grin at the boy over Tsunade's shoulder, he caught Naruto's eye. "We'll come in to see you again soon, gaki! Don't you worry! Oh, and some other people want to visit too!" By the time he finished, however, the blond was out for the count, fast asleep in the hospital bed.

* * *

><p>A day later found Inoichi sat before the jinchūriki, his face impassive. He had done this before - on multiple occasions, throughout the child's youth - but this may be the most dangerous yet. They had no idea as to how badly damaged the seal may be, and the damage to the boy's mind was likely also significant. It was also possible that the repressed personality bore more control, if it still existed.<p>

Inoichi lay his left hand splayed on the host's forehead, and his right on the abdomen directly above the seal, and felt the Uzumaki enter his mindscape, pulling the Yamanaka Clan Head along for the ride.

It was... different, was the first thing Inoichi noticed. Gone was the sewer, and in its stead was a wasteland. Craters dotted the landscape, intense flames smouldering in several of them every few metres, unaffected by the constant descent of rain from a thunderstorm above them, obscuring the moon from sight. Flashes of lightning collided with the ground in the distance, and a curious red glow seemed to spread through the clouds. Not long after scanning the ruined area - constructed in the vague shape of a large valley hidden amongst mountain peaks, and littered with the remnants of buildings - the Yamanaka realised why the location seemed vaguely familiar, and shivered. Even as he did this, however, the earth beneath him shivered in turn, restless.

_'It's Kirigakure. The mindscape is an annihilated Kirigakure,'_ he thought, and shivered again as his companion eyed the landscape appreciatively. A flash of lightning hit nearby, causing Inoichi to flinch, but the Uzumaki did not stray a moment. Then, he looked up. _'I wonder what the symbolism of the red clouds is...'_

Across from them, in a large spherical cage made of Kongō Fūsa, sat the Kyūbi. However, the man's sharp eyes quickly noted the multiple gaps in sections of the chains, through which small traces of chakra leaked. At the front of the Kusari cage, a lock in the shape of a spiral sat, the foundations and ends of all separate Kongō Fūsa linking back to it. The lock was partially visible, as portions of the paper once bearing the word 'Fūin' on it were burned away. The lock itself also looked slightly burned, and that frightened Inoichi more than anything else had.

Two thrones, one of obsidian lined with ruby and one of marble lined with gold, sat on either side of the cage, unmarred by the landscape. No figure sat upon either, and Inoichi had a hard time focusing on them. Once he looked away, he forgot all about them, and not of his own volition.

Curiously, three coffins - each made of ebony - sat in the middle of a pool of water, directly in front of the cage. The first and second also appeared to be linked to the seal, both tied to it by a separate ribbon of what may have been chakra. The chakra-link connected the coffins' heads with the lock on the seal. Another two bonds, one each from the second and third coffins, also connected themselves to the seal on Naruto himself. The Uzumaki bent down to touch the coffins, but a deep, dark, malevolent voice stopped him.

**"You won't want to do that,** **ningen,"** the Kyūbi said, and Inoichi turned to look at it in shock. Every time he had entered the mindscape in the past, it had simply stared at him or retreated into the shadow of the cage, never saying a word. The Yamanaka had come to believe it was incapable of speech and other such things.

"Why not, fox?" the younger blond asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "These shouldn't be here," he continued, gesturing at the curious constructions.

**"Those are linked to your predecessors,"** it growled, glaring at its host with slitted eyes the same colour as the sky above them. **"I am unsure of what the first contains, but I have my suspicions."**

"Oh?" the jinchūriki responded, rounding on the bijū. "Care to share?"

**"No,"** it replied shortly, and Inoichi - finally recovered from his shock - decided to change tack. He did so with a question that had lain in his mind for years, ever since he lost his sister and father to the Kyūbi twelve years prior.

"Why did you attack that night?" he asked, and could hardly suppress the bitter hatred that surfaced to the forefront of his mind. A deep, lingering loathing finally forced itself into the light, and Inoichi was _glad_ to show it. "You killed hundreds of people. What did Konoha do to deserve such a fate?"

The bijū growled lowly. **"You think yourself fit to demand an answer of me, mortal? I, greatest of the Nine?"**

"Being 'greatest of the Nine' hasn't exactly helped you, though, has it?" Naruto commented softly, blithely. "You remain bound, sequestered away from the world you would destroy with nary a thought. As you must be."

A powerful killing intent was layered at the two, but most especially Naruto, who began to sweat. **"You have not changed, ningen. Go. I shall speak to you no longer."** Its tone was one of clear dismissal, its voice more growl than anything.

The elder Yamanaka intervened. "But-"

**"GO!"** it shouted, and roared with enough strength to eject them from the seal, neither noticing the slight fracture that spread across one of the Kongō Fūsa binding the bijū, nor the feral grin that alighted upon its face.

As they returned to the waking world, gasping, Inoichi turned his attention on the jinchūriki.

"You spoke the beast as if you knew it," Inoichi commented, frowning at the boy. Suspicious doubt curled like a serpent in his belly. "How?"

The younger blond sighed. "I've seen enough memories from my mother and great-grandmother's perspectives that I can say, with certainty, that I understand the bijū, and especially the Kyūbi. It wants nothing more than violence and death. Its power is not one that should dawn upon the world again. I shall not allow it," he replied, a passion leaking into his soft tone that took the elder blond by surprise.

The Yamanaka stared intently at the boy for a moment, before nodding. "I will speak with the Hokage of this. Alone," he added, when the Uzumaki made to move. The boy nodded, and the elder blond left the room to speak to the Hokage.

Ten minutes later found him in the office of the 'Shinobi no Kami'.

"How bad is the damage, Inoichi?" the Sandaime queried, and Inoichi let out a huff of breath before explaining. As he did so, Sarutobi's expression darkened. "And how would you interpret these different aspects?" he eventually questioned, and Inoichi frowned.

"Well, since the mindscape is modelled after a Kirigakure ravaged by war, that implies a deep-seated hatred of Kiri, likely a remnant of Kushina-sama and, to an extent, Mito-sama. The land around Kiri was riddled with craters and flaming pits, which I do not feel can be associated with the destruction of the mental Kirigakure itself, but rather a severely damaged psyche. The fact that fire burned in places implies a generally high amount of anger. The tremors in the earth can be considered a manifestation of unease and displacement, which is entirely logical in this situation. The thunderstorm, however, is likely a sign of both conflict and impatience, as a storm is generally anything but patient - neither are good signs." Suddenly, the younger man's frown grew even more prominent. "As for the red-tinted clouds, I cannot honestly be certain - such a thing is unprecedented. And I think we both know what the damage of the manifestation of the Kongō Fūsa cage means, Hokage-sama," he said, shivering.

The Hokage hummed, nodding. "And how would this mindscape compare to somebody else of a similar situation?" he questioned.

Inoichi shivered again. "That's the thing - it doesn't. Most mindscapes, as you know, are peaceful and tranquil, even if the individual in question is a warlike, antagonistic sort of person. This is because the mind is, in many ways, a place of retreat from suffering, and as such is made to accommodate such things. Order is also a fairly common theme. Such signs of destruction and death are normally indicative of a deep emotional unbalance, and the chaos itself is indicative of a chaotic mind. Hokage-sama, there is nothing healthy about the mind of Uzumaki Naruto, and I am tempted to suggest he is taken off of the active roster of shinobi."

Hiruzen frowned, but nodded in understanding. "While I respect your opinion in this, Inoichi, I feel it is prudent that Naruto train and undergo counselling to move past these memories. Neither Naruto nor his predecessors were the type to sit around obediently in silence, malignant. I am sure you know Naruto-kun's personality well enough to know that this would not work well." At the Yamanaka's hesitant nod, he continued. "He will train inside the village, and once you deem him fit enough to undergo missions, he shall be trialled on some. Even at this time, however, it is imperative that Naruto continues undergoing therapy to move through these memories, and I will appoint you to this task. Some of the memories he has explained to me are troubling, and he will need guidance throughout this process. He has, of course, lived the life of two women," he said, and looked rather off-put by that thought. "He will likely need help on that front as well. You are to work with him as often as both of your schedules shall allow."

Inoichi hesitated a moment, and then nodded. "By your word, Hokage-sama."

He was not dismissed yet, however. "Inoichi... what of the other self?" he asked, frowning.

The Yamanaka Clan Head shrugged. "Honestly? I saw no trace of it. If it still remains, it shall not for long. But we must be wary, Hokage-sama. If the boy were to repress more of the memories..." he trailed off, sure the legendary shinobi would have reached the same conclusion by now.

"Indeed we must, Inoichi," Sarutobi nodded, grim. "Indeed we must."

* * *

><p>The genin of teams 7, 8 and 10 all arrived at Konoha's hospital at the same time, as instructed by the Sandaime. Three days had passed since Naruto had awoken, and they had been asked to visit him by the Sandaime. 'For forming new bonds to replace the biased old. You will need to count on him just as much as he must count on you,' he had said, and they believed him.<p>

They weren't entirely sure how Naruto would take their presence - after all, none of them got along with the blond jinchūriki all that well - barring Kiba and Chōji to an extent - and he might not feel interested in their company. Regardless, they steeled themselves to push forward through it. They all had something they wanted to say to their wounded comrade.

At the entrance, they were met by their respective sensei, alongside the Hokage. Bowing to the Hokage as the arrived, the aged man smiled at the amassed genin. "Naruto-kun has been awake for three days now, and is thus capable of having visitors," he announced, and the genins' eyes widened.

A nervous stirring erupted within the amassed children, but soon quietened. They were _shinobi_. They would deal.

Their thoughts differed as they walked the halls of Konoha's Hospital, their respective sensei, alongside their leader, leaving them at the door. One topic remained on their minds, however.

_'Uzumaki Naruto.'_

* * *

><p>Naruto's head hurt. It had for quite some time, he would admit, and he was warned it was also unlikely to <em>abate<em> for quite some time. He was still 'acclimatising' to the memories, whatever that meant.

Except he _did_ know, and that was the hard part. Little things - tiny, insignificant things, like the passing mention of a person or event, or the utterance of a word - could throw him into another memory. So far, there had been a marked improvement in his vocabulary, and his personality had changed drastically. The nights were sleepless, often, since his mind would often dredge up the worst of the memories as he slept. Little, childish cruelties at the moment, nothing _truly_ disgusting or abhorrent, but he knew it would get worse with time. Mito and Kushina were shinobi, after all.

And now he had to deal with his old classmates. The Sandaime had _told_ them, and that had been such a breach of his privacy that he was still grappling with the blow. He still hadn't experienced many memories of Hiruzen and Mito, yet, and-

But even as he thought that, one came to the forefront of his mind. Mito and Tobirama showing Hiruzen, Homura and Koharu the technique that they had spent _months_ devising, the Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone), an incredibly powerful ninjutsu with dangerous consequences. And the three had soaked up the knowledge like sponges.

It was to the sight of his expressionless face, eyes glazed over as if in a dream, that the Rookies entered.

Chōji blinked. "Naruto?" he asked softly, trepidation lingering in both his form and voice. The blond shook his head and turned his eyes to him. "Are you okay?"

Naruto nodded slowly, pensive. "About as good as I can be, certainly." His voice, when it emerged, was softer than they could ever remember it being.

"We... heard you've been unwell, Naruto," Kiba mentioned, hesitant in a way his kindred so rarely were. Brash, an Inuzuka may be, but never unsure. The lack of an insult attached to his name - or in place of it, for that matter - gained the blond's attention, who stared at Kiba.

Naruto nodded again, sighing slightly. "My head hurts, yeah. I keep getting distracted at bad moments, and-" but there he went again, a brief flash of some battle between the Hyūga and Uzumaki where Mito got herself distracted playing in his mind before he mentally righted himself. _So_ not the time.

"-uto? Naruto?" It was Ino calling his name, he realised, and blinked in slight confusion. She _never_ used his name.

"Ah, sorry, Ino," he responded, sighing. "I... just got caught up in remembering something," he admitted at length.

"That's fine, honestly!" she exclaimed. Ino grinned at the boy, who didn't return the gesture. Her joy quickly turned to melancholy, and they sat in silence.

"You speak differently," Shino noted, taking the lull in conversation and twisting it for his own ends. "You are more soft-spoken, and your vocabulary seems to have increased somewhat. You are also more pensive than you once were. Why is that?"

Naruto blinked at him. "It's... complicated, and not something that I can discuss. You know, S-Rank secrecy and all that." And they did, actually, since they knew all about the Kyūbi and his status as jinchūriki. "Let's just say that it's for a very good reason, and leave it at that."

"I prefer this, actually," Shikamaru interjected, his lips twisted in the shadow of a smirk. "The shouting was getting a little hard to handle."

Sasuke nodded tightly. "Hn, I can agree to that, certainly. How you actually got _promoted_ with all the screaming and shouting you were doing is beyond me, dobe."

Naruto scoffed. "They had to, you know. I _am_ the last Uzumaki, and a jinchūriki to boot. It's fairly certain they would've put me in some super training program, even if I _didn't_ graduate late. The village needs its weapon."

They all sobered slightly at his declaration. It was Hinata who asked the question. "Na-Naruto-kun," she asked softly, a stutter fracturing her speech. At his nod, she continued. "H-how d-did you manage t-to hand-dle so m-much hatred?" she asked, horrified.

In response, he sighed. "I'm not sure I 'handled' it, Hinata," he replied, frowning. "Repressed is a better way of putting it. I ignored it and pushed it to a corner of my mind, leaving it there," he said, and only Shikamaru, Shino and Sasuke noticed Ino shiver slightly. "Now, though, it's all rushing to the forefront. Incidences that I don't remember well are coming back to me, and I'm... _feeling_ different than before." His voice was so soft and haunted at that they all had to double-check that it even _came_ from Naruto in the first place.

"Naruto?" Sakura prompted, startled at the change. He said nothing, and once more they found themselves sitting in silence for a time.

"Why?" Naruto asked suddenly, startling them. "Why have you taken this so well?"

They exchanged uneasy glances, and Naruto's heart sank slightly. Perhaps they _hadn't_. "We were told all about how you were treated," Shikamaru eventually replied, after an awkward half-minute of silence. "And a few days later, Hokage-sama reunited us to talk it out. We all reached the conclusion that not only are you _not_ the Kyūbi, but also that you'd endured so much... and we hadn't exactly helped in that regard..." **(3)**

"But," Sakura continued, and her smile was small, but present on her face. "We realised that none of this was your fault. You didn't ask to be scorned by the village, or attacked, or even have the Kyūbi sealed within you." Around her, the other genin nodded.

"So cheer up, baka!" Kiba exclaimed, grinning. And if the grin was unsure, almost hesitant, then nobody saw fit to mention it. "We wouldn't have turned up here and be talking to you like this if we thought you were that stupid old bakegitsune {Monster Fox}! You're stuck with us!"

"Really, Naruto-san, the main question is 'can you forgive us'? Why, you may ask? Because you are the one who has suffered an injustice, here," Shino interjected. "It is not our place to assume that our mistakes are so easily atoned." Around him, the other genin had quietened, staring at Naruto expectantly.

Naruto took his time to ponder the question seriously. Could he forgive them? What had they done against him, truly? Nothing more than the silly failings of children - no serious injustice, certainly, and none of the violent incidences like that of the crazy chūnin or some of the bullying sensei in the Academy.

But they _had_ contributed, _had_ done nothing. Sakura, who hit him constantly and degraded him. Ino, who - at times - had done the latter, as well, and rarely the former. Sasuke, too, and Kiba. And the others had merely sat aside and watched as the mistreatment eventuated. Was a lack of action against him a valid excuse? Could he really associate with people like that?

But then another thought crossed his mind, and he understood. They were victims, like him. Not to the same degree, and not in the same way, but they were. They had fallen victim to the illusion of fairness, the false reality of youth. And they truly could not be blamed for trusting their parents and their village about the treatment of its pariah.

Taking in each of their earnest expressions, even if in the cases of some it was well hidden, made Naruto reach a conclusion.

"Well... sure," Naruto grinned. And while it wasn't the same grin as he was known for, not of the same brightness or cheer, those who were inclined to such things amongst the Rookies mirrored it regardless, while the others nodded in turn.

It was a start. **(4)**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Pardon the HOLY WALL OF TEXT moment that this chapter likely induced. Next Chapter is into the action, after a brief interlude to create a few upcoming scenarios for Naruto & Co. to deal with.**

**(1) For those who insist "Hinata loves Naruto so she wouldn't do that!", I have news. She doesn't love him. She loves the _idea_ of him. At this stage, that has not developed into a deep, meaningful love, and so she is still unsure.**

**(2) Don't worry. This is just a brief overview of an outside opinion on their reactions. I'm going to get into the thick of their feelings about the whole thing both later in the chapter (read: last scene), and the next two/three chapters. You _have_ already seen Sakura and Shikamaru's feelings, to an extent, and more or less the entirety of Sasuke's, however.**

**(3) Not sure whether I'll include this chat. Thoughts?**

**(4) I know some will feel that he forgave them too easily. But he hasn't, not really. In this scene, Naruto is accepting their olive branch, but he still needs to acclimatise to the fact that the same hand that bears the olive branch, is also a hand that once scorned and struck him. Don't assume that just because it _seemed_ easy, that it _will be_. In fact, I already have the conversations with Kiba, Ino, Sakura and Sasuke - the ones who truly scorned him, amongst them - planned out. These things will take time. Next chapter, you can expect those. :)**


	5. Intermission 1: News Travels Fast

**INHERITANCE, a Naruto fanfiction**

**AU. Naruto's reality is tipped on its head when the mission to Nami no Kuni goes awry. With a set of fresh, untempered skills and a thousand scattered glimpses into tragedies past, is it any wonder he's struggling to remember how to live? (And if he never does... Well, who needed hope anyway?)**

* * *

><p><strong>"FALLOUT" - INHERITANCE INTERMISSION #1<strong>

* * *

><p>In Wave country, Tazuna the bridge builder could be found contently drinking his sake. He honestly had no idea how many he'd had, although that fact in and of itself indicated that he'd had a lot. Perhaps too much, although he was celebrating the growing success of his nation, so he felt it was understandable.<p>

"Those kids were great, weren't they, Tazuna-san?" the bartender asked the thoroughly inebriated man.

"I'm still shocked that they managed to defeat Gatō!" one of the bar's patrons exclaimed, awe colouring his tone.

Tazuna grinned drunkenly at the man. "Well, you need super-ninjas to protect a super-bridge-builder, such as myself!" the grandfather said haughtily, although saddened slightly after that. "That blond gaki wasn't well when they left, though," he admitted, frowning in concern. That kid had _grown_ on him, dammit. Around him, the mood of the room temporarily dampened as the drunks of Nami no Kuni thought of their bewhiskered hero.

"Hey, how'd they do it, Tazuna-san? I know shinobi can do things no-one else can do, but..." the bartender trailed off, frowning slightly. "To defeat that many men..."

"Mhm. Some super-powers that even other shinobi couldn't do, I think. Especially that Uzumaki kid," Tazuna replied, glad to be free of the sombre mood.

Although no movement indicated their interest, a hooded figure on the other side of the bar began to listen in more closely.

"Superpowers? Like what?" one of the patrons questioned, curiosity burning in her eyes.

"Hmm," the bridge-builder hummed, rubbing his chin in thought. Finishing his drink by chugging the whole thing seemed to help his memory, somehow, even if it did nothing for his coherency. "Well, that Kakaka-shi guy whash shuuuuper shtrong, he had a funny eye and ereryshing! And that Ushumiki gaki did shummthin alroight! He... he..." suddenly, the man seemed a little more aware again, as if the memory itself had sobered him up to an extent. Not enough to prevent his next few words, however, which he spoke in a low voice. "He... it wash _terrifying_. He let looshe thish feelin, and I shuddenly felt ash if I wash nothing more than an ant. And then he _rattled_. Like the chainsh on an anchor. I shink their shenshei called it the 'Kongōa Fūsha'..."

Stiffening slightly, the masked figure slowly smirked, even as their heart beat at a speed liable to shatter the ribs above it. _'Jackpot!'_

Remaining to hear anything else of interest, once Tazuna had left, the hooded figure stood and made their way to the entrance of the bar, not even bothering to pay their bill as they made their way out of the village, and Nami no Kuni as a whole.

They had information. And in the world of shinobi, that meant you were practically set.

All they had to do was sell it to the highest bidders.

_'Chishiki...' {Knowledge}_

* * *

><p>The Sandaime Tsuchikage, Ryōtenbin no Ōnoki {Ōnoki of Both Scales}, was awaiting a meeting with a contact. With a wave of his hand as direction, the Tsuchikage's assistant rolled out a summoning scroll, a seal matrix appearing for a moment before flashing, revealing a hooded figure of moderate height. Beneath the hood, the aged Kage was able to make out glowing amber eyes.<p>

"Allow me to thank you, Ōnoki-dono, for seeing fit to provide the agreed-upon amount for my services," said the figure, speaking - as always - in a voice bereft of emotion or any traits that could be used to determine the identity - or even gender - of the figure. The eyes, however, made the powerful man aware of the difference in identity between this shinobi, and his usual contact amongst the organisation he represented.

The Tsuchikage snorted. "I have no interest in playing your games now, little spy. Present your information and be gone," he demanded, directing a hard stare at the hooded figure. As much as he disliked it, this was a standard practice for members of the Gokage, and even minor village leaders - being brought leads on information from around the Nations by a member of an unaffiliated faction. Even though each village had spies within the ranks of the other villages, gaining information from said spies tended to come at the risk of exposing the agent to their targeted village, due to 'suspicious' behaviour. Because of this, most villages depended on information from outside sources, which could then be confirmed or rejected based on a factual basis. After all, it was much easier for a spy to _corroborate_ a report, since they would then know exactly what to search for, rather than having to search for anything potentially relevant amongst an abundance of 'Classified' information. The word 'Classified', of course, tended to be overused to the point of near-redundancy, and the _truly_ relevant information was rarely placed in a physical record regardless. Thus, spy organisations thrived, in a world built on lies, deceit and darkness.

Recently, a group of shinobi had emerged, calling themselves 'Chishiki'. They operated in a unique way, dispersing scrolls to their clients, which would contain the contract for a purchase of information. Included on the scroll were two summoning matrices - a small seal for transporting items of a non-organic nature to the sender, generally ryō notes, and a larger seal to summon a Bunshin to the location of the scroll, to pass along the information. At first, the aged Kage had tried having his shinobi expand the smaller seal to a level that would allow him to send shinobi to capture them, but in the end it had proven an impossible task. When he had made a similar attempt to detain the summoned Bunshin, it had merely dispelled.

Ōnoki had made use of the organisation on several occasions in the past, including an incidence that had proved vital to Iwagakure's future amongst the Great Five. Suffice it to say, the Tsuchikage took communiques from Chishiki very seriously.

"Of course, of course," the amber-eyed figure acquiesced, removing a scroll from their robes and presenting it to the Tsuchikage's assistant for inspection, as always. "Your information, delivered with a smile, Ōnoki-dono."

The aged Kage received the scroll from his assistant once it was deemed safe, and began reading it. While outwardly he remained stoic, inwardly he was battling hard to maintain a front of apathy. And judging by the soft tittering of laughter, the damnable spy _knew_ it, too.

"This..." Ōnoki began, staring hard at the hooded figure over the top of the scroll. "This... changes things," he admitted at length. A thought occurred to him. "How many other villages have you supplied this to?" he demanded, glaring at the hooded figure.

"Now, now," the amber-eyed individual chided, raising a tanned finger - nails painted black - to wag accusingly at the legendary shinobi. "That would be telling!" the figure exclaimed, and at Ōnoki's growl, they continued swiftly. "By your leave, Tsuchikage," the figure remarked, bowing mockingly in the slightest second before the aged Kage vaporised a section of their torso, as he always did.

Ōnoki barely batted an eyelash as the Namami Bunshin (Living Flesh Clone) crumbled into a seemingly boneless pile of flesh on the floor, and then decomposed at an astonishing rate, dissolving into a pile of dirt and dust. **(1)**

This child would pose a significant threat to the future of his village, and he would have this rectified. Immediately.

"Get me the ANBU 'Badger'," Ōnoki said simply, and his will was done.

* * *

><p>The Yondaime Raikage, Ē, frowned as he read the report on his desk.<p>

"And this information is valid?" he asked at length, his eyes rising to meet those of his receptionist, Mabui, who nodded.

"Indeed, Raikage-sama," she asserted. "Following the communique we were sent by the non-affiliated spy group known as 'Chishiki', we sent payment as you directed, and they responded with sending us a scroll, containing a Namami Bunshin-"

"A _Namami_Bunshin?" Ē questioned, suddenly serious. "You're certain?" At Mabui's nod, Ē growled lowly.

Namami Bunshin were a construction using Kūton(Flesh Release) to form a clone from a sliver of flesh from the user, and several clumps of dirt. The technique itself was incredibly difficult, even for members of the Clan who used them, the Namami Clan. Ē's main problem was that the Namami Clan were _Kumo_ shinobi. As in, every member of the Clan _should_ have been entirely loyal to Kumogakure, and only Kumogakure. So the existence of a renegade Namami Clan member was... concerning, to say the least.

"From there, the Namami Bunshin provided us with the below information before dispelling," Mabui continued, oblivious - or more likely, studiously ignoring - her leader's state of distraction.

"Have you verified it?" the Yondaime inquired, staring hard at his assistant.

Mabui raised an incredulous eyebrow, levelling an even stare at the muscular man. "With all due respect, sir, it is entirely impossible for us to gain access to the Uzumaki - if there is, indeed, an Uzumaki in the first place - to check. Unless we want another international incident, like the one almost a decade ago?"

Ē nodded, frowning, before deciding on the best course of action. "Have our spies in Hi no Kuni {Land of Fire} attempt to confirm the existence of this Uzumaki. And get me Darui," he instructed the woman, and she quickly departed to do as told. Meanwhile, he pondered the information available to him, and how to deal with the situation if it proved to be true.

It was not long before the door opened and Ē's best shinobi entered.

"Yo, Raikage-sama," the jōnin greeted, saluting lazily from his slouched position next to the door. "You called for me?"

"Darui," the dark-skinned Kage began, his steely gaze boring into his father's student. "It has been suggested that the Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains) has emerged in one of Konoha's shinobi."

Darui's eyes grew alert and serious, losing his slouch as he straightened to complete attention. "Suggested, Raikage-sama?"

Ē nodded gravely. "We are still working to confirm the information that was brought to us by the unaffiliated spy organisation Chishiki. Their information suggests that the child who supposedly awoke the 'Kusari' is also the Kyūbi jinchūriki, and the child of Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato," allowing his shinobi a moment to recompose himself, and stop choking on air, he paused before continuing. "I want you to take Team 14 to the upcoming Chūnin exams in Konoha," the Raikage informed the jōnin. Of course, Team 14's sensei was forbidden from leaving the village, so Darui was used to filling in on the squad. "You are to have Team 14 briefed on the appearance and supposed abilities of 'Uzumaki Naruto', as well as have them spy on him and any other potentially powerful up-and-coming Konoha-nin, including the last Uchiha and Hyūga heiress."

Normally, Chūnin Exams were only attended by allied countries, but there was no reason for a nation who held an accord of non-violence with the host village, like Kumo did, to be denied access. Kirigakure or Iwagakure would be denied outright to a Konoha-hosted Chūnin Exam, but there should be no problem with a Kumogakure team participating.

"Above all else, Darui, I want Team 14 to make it to the finals of the Chūnin Exams. All other mission parameters may be ignored, as long as this last one is achieved, although it would be in the best interests of those involved if all parameters were completed. I intend to attend the Finals myself," said the Raikage. This was the best opportunity in a Chūnin Exams since Ē had ordered C to covertly monitor the first exams held in Kiri since the end of the Civil War that engulfed the nation after the Sandaime Mizukage was assassinated. The muscle-bound man had been pleased to hear that Kirigakure was well and truly destabilised following the end of the three-year conflict. It was a miracle that Kiri could still count itself one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

"I thought I was to track down Takara?" Darui inquired, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, his composure now restored. It wasn't like they could risk having Takara at large, after all - she was an incredibly dangerous kunoichi, both for her skills and her knowledge of Kumogakure. Being the first S-Rank nukenin originating from Kumogakure in over twenty years made her somewhat of a priority. She was also C and Darui's teammate under the tutelage of the Sandaime Raikage, and a wielder of the Ranton(Storm Release), much like Darui himself.

"This takes precedence. I want to see that child's talent for myself, and I need a powerful jōnin to go with Team 14. In regards to Takara, I'm going to have Yugito track her down," Ē responded, and while his subordinate's second eyebrow rose to join its compatriot, he said nothing, instead bowing and turning to leave the office.

"By your leave, Raikage-sama."

* * *

><p>Yagura stood with his back to the door, gazing out upon Kirigakure - <em>his village<em> - with apathy. _'Since when did I... why do I feel this way about... Kiri?'_

It was something he had lived with for years, now. His emotions were in a constant state of war, his drive to protect Kirigakure acting in opposition to his drive to _destroy_. He didn't understand where these emotions came from, especially since he had always deeply loved his village. Growing up, he had read about the history of Kirigakure in undisguised horror, of the horribly violent battles and torture methods his village utilised. He had read about each of the previous Mizukage - Kirigakure Saizō, the Shodai, who had united the entire of Mizu no Kuni under a single banner by conquering it all, becoming a dictator over the masses. Following his death, a power vacuum enveloped the Nation, which only ended when the Nidaime Mizukage, Hōzuki Fumio, united all of the Seven Swords and entrusted one to each of his seven guardians. His rule was considered to be the best that Kirigakure had ever experienced, but his death at the hands of the Nidaime Tsuchikage had thrown the nation into another political nightmare. After that, the Shodai's lieutenant, Yuki Uyeda, had managed to secure himself the seat of Mizukage. His rule was violent and brutal, cutting a bloody swath across Kirigakure's history, and earning them the moniker of 'Chigiri no Sato' {Village of the Bloody Mist}. And then, when he had been assassinated in his sleep almost twelve years ago, Kiri had erupted into a three-year Civil War. Eventually, Yagura had come out the victor, at fifteen years old.

Each of the previous Mizukage had left a lasting mark on Kirigakure, and the shinobi world as a whole. For better, or - more often - worse. And it had been Yagura's dream ever since he was young to become the greatest, kindest and most loved of them all.

So what had changed?

He knew, to an extent. It had started around the time Isobu stopped talking to him, and he would never admit to a soul how much that stung him to this day. He had tried to regain contact through many means, even entering his mindscape to beg the Sanbi, his only friend, to talk to him, but he couldn't gain access for some reason. He'd even considered re-tightening the seal just to provoke a conflict, but every time he thought of it, he got... distracted...

"Report," he said simply, and his subordinate began explaining the content of the scroll before him in detail. As he listened, he felt a pressure in the back of his mind like always. He still didn't know when it started, but like always he fought against it, to no avail. All he knew was that every time he lost to it, he felt like another small piece of his soul was dying.

Was this why Isobu had abandoned him? Because he was broken?

"Track down this... 'Chishiki', and have them executed. Do _not_ allow this information to spread, understood?" Yagura blinked. He wasn't sure why he'd said that. As the Kiri-nin scrambled to follow her Kage's order, Yagura stared out on the village in mild confusion.

There was something very wrong with him, and he needed to find out what it was. Otherwise, it would be the end of them all.

* * *

><p>"The Kyūbi jinchūriki has awoken the Kongō Fūsa," Madara informed him, the impassive mask betraying no emotions from the legendary shinobi. Across from him, Kami frowned.<p>

"How much shall this delay our plans?" Pein inquired, already making projections on how to work around this little problem. He'd met Kushina once when he was young, although she was only three at the time and it was unlikely she had remembered him. He had been shocked when, years later, he had learned that she was still alive, and it had actually been his intention to ask Yahiko for some time off after the talk with... _that man_... to see if he could track down his distant cousin and old sensei once more. The emergence of the Kusari - a powerful bloodline that would have been very useful to Pein, if he was honest - in another child so soon was unprecedented, and overall concerning. Oh well, since it was a jinchūriki, it was no matter. He, just like all the others of his ilk around the world, would eventually know Pain. Still...

"How?" he questioned returning to his usual outward apathy out of general necessity. If he acted on his emotion - on so many years of bottled grief and rage and other things he ignored - it was likely that none would survive his wrath. No, Pein had moved past the frivolity of emotion long ago. Such things were beneath Kami.

Madara shrugged, tone betraying no emotion. "I'm not entirely sure. Since Kushina used the Kusari after falling pregnant with the child, it is likely that this has something to do with the Kyūbi, as unlikely as it seems." Only the slightest hesitation mid-sentence highlighted the slight mistake the man made in his response. Regardless, it was enough for Pein to notice.

Kami rose an eyebrow in slight curiosity, although the expression seemed entirely false on the normally expressionless figure. "You did not inform me that the current Kyūbi jinchūriki was Uzumaki Kushina's child," he said simply. Not so much an accusation as an observation.

A half-second of hesitation, and Madara replied, apathetic. "Would it have changed things?"

Pein did not answer, instead electing to direct a hard stare at the legendary shinobi opposite him. "I wonder what else you have misled me about," he commented idly, and the two men stared at each other for a time. The masked shinobi hummed softly and disappeared in a swirl. Kami remained behind in the room, pondering the ways in which Akatsuki's plans and methods would need to adapt to this change in events.

* * *

><p>Terumī Mei schooled her face into an expression of utmost apathy, staring at the man before her unblinkingly. It was... not at all expected, that was for sure.<p>

"Pardon, Momochi-san? I don't think I heard you correctly," she said, her voice betraying nothing with its monotone. _'Does this man take me for a fool?'_ she pondered, repressing the urge to frown. They were about to make a decisive victory in a war effort that had been ongoing for years already, to free their nation, and now this... _man_ had turned up out of nowhere and offered to help.

The Kirigakure no Kijin {Demon of the Hidden Mist} rolled his eyes and grunted, shifting slightly to better accommodate the weight of the blade on his back. "I said," he replied, voice gruff and dark, "that I would like to offer my assistance in your efforts to depose Yagura."

Mei raised an eyebrow imperiously, making light noises of consideration in the back of her throat. "And why, Momochi-san, should I trust you? You took part in a previous effort to depose the Mizukage - why should I not believe you merely wish to assist in killing him, only to turn on us and take the Mizukage's seat for yourself?"

The man growled lowly, glaring at the dual-bloodline holder in distaste. "If you think I would have rather stood idly by and allowed that... _madman_ to remain seated in the Mizukage's office, then you are sorely mistaken."

Mei remained unconvinced. "Yes, of _course_, Momochi-san," she drawled sarcastically, her incredulity nearly palpable in the small room that housed the Rebellion's Leader, sequestered away in a long-forgotten bunker left behind by the Hōzuki Clan, a relic from the Warring States period. "And I'm sure the notorious 'Kirigakure no Kijin' has chosen to help us poor, _lowly_ rebels out of the goodness of his heart?"

The man sat back, staring at the kunoichi haughtily, the bandages on his face poorly concealing a decidedly unfriendly grin. "Can you afford to not take me?" he responded easily, his grin widening as her expression faltered slightly. "Thought so. Where do I begin?"

Mei looked at the man uneasily, unsure of how to proceed. Shinobi who fought Yagura and _survived_ were few and far between, and having one - a former member of the Seven Swordsmen, no less! - would certainly help their cause, as long as his intentions were pure. So she asked the question that had been bothering her from the start. "Why now? Why, after so many years, have you returned now, supposedly to help us?"

Sighing, the man's eyes turned serious, and his face and tone became devoid of emotion. "My apprentice died just recently. I found him as I fled Mizu no Kuni after my failed coup. He was a survivor of the Yuki Clan." Mei smothered a gasp, sadness filling her at the thought that a survivor of the tragic clan had remained, only to lose his life before change could be wrought on Kiri. "And..." Zabuza trailed off, eyes unseeing as he remembered the battle in Nami no Kuni. "The Kongō Fūsa has emerged in the son of Konoha no Kusari-Teikiatsu {Chain Cyclone of the Leaf}, and – I'm assuming – Namikaze Minato."

The woman's eyes widened.

* * *

><p><strong>"FALLOUT" - INHERITANCE ARC #1 – END<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**Arcs will now end with Intermissions, just to warn you all now. Unity Arc starts next chapter! Be excited! ****J**

**(1) Props to the amazing Omnibender for coming up with this sort of stuff. I've used his 'Elemental Recomposition Table' for this. This particular Kekkei Tōta is the Kūton chakra nature, as explained by Ē in his section of the chapter.**

**(2) I feel like I am getting these all wrong... :/**

**Thank you very much for reading!**


	6. Of Training and Missions

**INHERITANCE, a Naruto fanfiction**

**AU. Naruto's reality is tipped on its head when the mission to Nami no Kuni goes awry. With a set of fresh, untempered skills and a thousand scattered glimpses into tragedies past, is it any wonder he's struggling to remember how to live? (And if he never does... Well, who needed hope anyway?)**

* * *

><p><strong>"UNITY" - INHERITANCE ARC #2<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**So, hereth be-eth the new-eth content… -eth! I'll warn you all now: since I've removed some old flashbacks to keep the previous chapters concise, there's one scene in this one that is both included, and better expanded upon, here. But it's the only flashback all chapter, so… forgive me? :)**

**So, plot chapter + training + first big battle with our genin. It was fun writing, (if slow going... *sweatdrop*) so I hope you have fun reading it.**

**For those who are unsure, this chapter takes place over about a month and a half.**** That means one month until Chūnin Exams, which is when this whole affair starts going tits-up and the AU _really_ kicks into gear. Mwahahaha.**

**PLEASE NOTE: If you have reviewed on this numbered chapter before (the number of chapters has been cut down), and would like to review again (which is appreciated!) either review on a chapter number you've never reviewed on and mention you're reviewing Chapter 4, or post a Guest Review with your full FF name somewhere in it, so I can respond to you. Or drop me a PM! Sorry for any inconvenience.**

**Without any further adieu, I give you the new chapter. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Four Days After Naruto Woke<strong>

* * *

><p>"Why do you fight?" Sasuke asked, frowning at him. They sat across from each other on Naruto's hospital bed, and it was painfully obvious that they were both trying hard to be cordial. Which, certainly, made things easier.<p>

Naruto hummed for a moment in thought. Of all the ways to start a conversation between them, that was a strange one. Although, to be fair, the fact that it was Sasuke who began the conversation in the first place made it even stranger. "I..." he trailed off, frowning. Why _did_ he fight? _'To be Hokage!'_ immediately sprang to mind, but Naruto felt that inaccurate. He didn't want to be Hokage anymore, not truly. A part of him still yearned for the title, certainly, but now that his world had been upended, he felt his views would - and, perhaps, should - change with it. His first thoughts on the matter went to the stranger in Nami no Kuni, and what he said about precious people. There were less people who fit that description than he would have liked, but among them were the Sandaime, the Ichirakus, and Iruka-sensei. But another thing that came to mind was his old goal, the _reason_ behind his aspirations to become Hokage. Acknowledgement. He wanted the people of Konoha to _see_ him. Because he _existed_. He was _real_, and they had to _accept that_.

Eventually, he continued with a soft, "I'm not exactly sure, to be honest. For my friends, and family. To be _recognised_. I... I want to prove people wrong, I suppose." Sasuke seemed to accept that, nodding thoughtfully. "And you?" Naruto felt compelled to ask, because if he answered it, Sasuke should too.

The Uchiha grunted something monosyllabic in response. Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't speak gobbledegook, Uchiha-chan."

Sasuke growled and hesitated a moment, before sighing. "The Uchiha were massacred in a single night by a 'man' named Itachi," he said. Naruto nodded in response - he knew that much, barring the name. "The... the _monster_ that killed them _was_ my elder brother. I fight to avenge them, because that is all I can offer their memory," he responded, a fierce, burning passion seeping into his voice.

Naruto withheld the sadness he felt at that. _'Your own brother...'_ But Sasuke wouldn't take that emotion well, he knew. Sadness came too close to pity, and he wouldn't sit well with that. "And then?" the blond asked instead, softly. "You can't live for just one thing, Sasuke. What happens when you achieve it?"

The avenger shrugged. "Then, I restart our clan," he said simply.

Naruto snorted. "Sasuke, I hate to break it to you, but I'm more Uzumaki than Uchiha. I only managed to awaken the Sharingan through a fluke, truly. It's because I have Uchiha DNA on both sides of my family," he added, seeing the Uchiha's curiosity. "My Dad was half Uchiha, and my mother one quarter."

The raven frowned. "Who were they?"

"I can't tell you. I don't know myself - it's just what the Hokage said." Of course, he knew a _little_ more, but he was hardly going to tell Sasuke that he was the great-grandson of Uchiha Madara. He really didn't know how that would go over.

"You know _nothing_?" Sasuke replied, polite disbelief colouring both his eyes and tone. "Tch, I doubt that, usuratonkachi."

Naruto sighed. "Look, all I know is where my Uchiha ancestors are, Sasuke. I know my kaa-chan's father was half-Uchiha, as was my father." But just that thought spurred a memory in him. A photo that his mother saw, sitting on his father's mantelpiece, and the voice of the person he could only _assume_ was his father saying their names. The image of his father remained elusive to him, but he felt as if the two people that appeared in the photo should have made it clear. It didn't. Not yet, anyway."Actually..." he began, faking a frown in an effort to convince Sasuke of a sudden change in his recollection of facts, "my father's mother was called Uchiha Kazue. She had the same eyes as I do, and long purple hair held in a ponytail." Looking back on the photo from his memory, Naruto couldn't help but feel that Kazue was an exceedingly beautiful woman. About on par with his mother, actually.

Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement. "I can look up some facts about her for you, if you'd like?" he suggested. After Naruto nodded in acquiescence, they sat in silence for a time.

It was Naruto who broke it. "Everything is going to be different between us now, isn't it?" he asked softly.

"Hn," the Uchiha responded, as if that explained everything. Thankfully, he continued. "Only if we allow it to."

"And should we?" Naruto returned, levelling an intent stare on his distant relative. "Should things go back to the way they were before?"

The raven shook his head. "_No_," he replied, oddly forceful. "We're family - you're the last I have, and I'm almost the last you have. We may be distant, yes, but we share these eyes." And as he spoke, the Sharingan - a single tomoe in his left eye, and two in his right - formed in his eyes, spinning slowly. Sasuke continued. "We wept the same tears of loneliness - in different forms, perhaps, but still overall the same. We know what it feels like to have _nothing_. And that is stronger than even our distant familial relation."

The Uzumaki released a rueful chuckle, in spite of himself. "A brotherhood of blood?" **(1)**

To the blond's surprise, Sasuke actually nodded. "It seems fitting," he said, in response to the jinchūriki's questioning gaze.

Naruto nodded dumbly, rather stunned, but filled with a strange mix of emotions he couldn't quite name. So, instead of trying to articulate them, he reached his arm across halfway to the Uchiha, and simply said, "Brothers, then?"

Sasuke grasped it.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Days Later<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto gazed up at the Hokage monument in shock and disgust.<p>

Minato.

Namikaze Minato.

_Namikaze Minato_.

_Namikaze Minato_ was his _father_. The _Yondaime Hokage_ was his _father_.

What. The actual fuck.

He released a shaky breath, ignoring the burn of tears in his eyes as memories flashed before his eyes. Vague wisps of conversations, passing smiles, and so much else played in his mind's eye. He could not fully grasp one before another flew in and replaced it, but he knew he would experience them in their fullness in his dreams. He always did, nowadays.

_'Father'_. _'Father'_. _'Father'_.

The word repeated itself in his mind, a mantra for the detriment of his sanity. He recoiled from it, retreating in on himself. The passing villagers barely gave him a passing glance as they continued on their daily business, studiously ignoring the village jinchūriki as he fell into a mental breakdown. Naruto did not let their apathy annoy him, as he once had. Instead, he was enveloped in knowledge's cold embrace. And as it beat a tattoo of understanding into his mind, he shivered in realisation.

_"Minato-kun and I have faith in you to be able to constrain it and harness its power..."_

_"Minato-kun and I have faith in you..."_

_"... have faith in you..."_

_"... faith..."_

The words of his mother took the mantle of the old mantra, a new understanding blossoming in his mind. And as much as he was angry, as much as he was terrified of the world he had been dumped into by his parents, he just could not and _would not_ pretend that the warmth in his heart was merely the feeling of the midday autumn sun bearing down on him. His parents believed in him, and for someone who had never even met them, never even known their names, that was a bandage to an old, long-endured wound. Not a balm to it - likely never a balm to it, because he had been abandoned, alone and in a village that hated him, forced to carry a terrible burden, and it was the two of them, _his own parents_ that had done it! - but something to ease the pain a little, and to allow the wound to close. It would be a scar on his soul, certainly, but one that he understood the origin and extent of now, and could ignore. It no longer stung as much as it once had.

Except it _did_ still sting, was still a wound on his existence in another way. It wasn't as simple as it once was. He also possessed, now, a terrible knowledge. Of what likely happened. He was chosen as jinchūriki because there was not only no other choice, but because he was the _best_ choice. For Konoha, for the future, for himself.

And as much as he hated to admit it - as much as it deeply, terribly pained him - he would have done the same thing. He'd have done the same thing in any of his lives, as himself or Mito or Kushina. He _had_ done the same thing.

He was not one to judge. And he hated it. **(2)**

* * *

><p><strong>Two and a Half Weeks Later<strong>

* * *

><p><em>'Dodge. Swipe. Parry. Kick. Side-step. Lunge. Dodge. DODGE DODGE DOD-'<em>

Naruto winced as Sasuke's kick connected with his gut, throwing him backwards through the air. He angled his body to connect with the tree feet-first, and felt the satisfying crunch and splinter of bark beneath his feet. Leaping forward with a chakra-enhanced lunge, he began a steady series of assaults on the Uchiha, battling to get past his guard. The raven, in turn, took advantage of the flaws in Naruto's style to parry the furious attacks and manage blows onto the Uzumaki's person.

Naruto's attire had changed as of late, as he now donned a black, long-sleeved shirt and knee-length shorts of the same colour. His left shoulder bore the traditional cobalt-blue Uzumaki spiral; the right bore the blood-red variation, a symbol of the lost, commonly found within Konoha. He wore orange shinobi sandals and an orange belt lined with small spirals. His hitai-ate {Forehead-Protector} now lay flat against his throat, strategically placed to protect his jugular, and the fabric had been dyed the same, bright shade of orange. On his left thigh he wore a kunai pouch, and at waist level on his right sat two sealing scrolls. He had also slowly begun growing his hair out, which was something he was actually enjoying, in a style similar to his father. It wasn't at the same length yet, but after a few weeks without maintenance it was slowly beginning to show.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Kakashi called, and they turned in unison towards him. They noticed several of the other genin blinking at them, and shrugged, unabashed. "That's enough. Come over here!" They did so, and Kakashi turned to the other genin. The other two sensei had a break for the day, leaving their genin to the tender mercies of Konoha's resident Copy-nin. "Okay you lot, who can point out where Sasuke and Naruto made their mistakes?"

It was Shino who raised his hand first, and spoke after Kakashi sent a nod in his direction. "Naruto-san seemed to begin one attack, and then hesitate and switch to another. Furthermore, he also appears to be accidentally mixing up his attack styles. Why could I tell this, you may ask? Because I can recognise both the standard Konohagakure taijutsu kata and another, unknown style emerging and interchanging frequently in his attack patterns, to the degree where he is seemingly attempting to combine both." The Aburame's response was offered, as always, in perfect monotone.

"It's not my fault!" the young jinchūriki insisted, scowling. "If I didn't have... well... Kakashi-sensei knows!" And he did, actually. Naruto was having extreme difficulties learning different fighting styles, because whenever he slid into the form of one kata, he would eventually accidentally slip into another, and would end up in a mish-mash of different attack patterns that he couldn't even bring logic to himself. It was an unfortunate side-effect of the memory merging, especially since it was happening slowly.

Kakashi simply raised his hand, to call for silence. "And Sasuke?" he asked, and this time it was Shikamaru who responded.

"Sasuke was overconfident in his attacks. He kept assuming that Naruto wouldn't manage to sneak past his guard, and then being caught entirely unawares when he _did_. The style he was using also seemed to be incomplete to some extent," the brunet drawled lazily. He leant back, cradling his head with both hands, and lay down on the ground, staring at the clouds. "Taijutsu practice is troublesome."

Kakashi, however, ignored his last comment and nodded. "You are right on the first subject. Sasuke, we will work to improve your habits in that regard," the silver-haired man promised, and the Uchiha nodded slowly in turn. "As for the second, however, that was primarily because Sasuke is training with the Sharingan, and is likely growing unused to having it deactivated for a fight. Again, this is something we will work on."

"Why?" Chōji asked curiously. "Isn't a kekkei genkai something worth using as often as possible? They're a massive advantage." Sakura and Kiba nodded at his reasoning.

It was Hinata, surprisingly, who answered. "K-kekkei genkai require a lot of chakra to use, and while Sasuke-kun has more than most, he s-still doesn't have more than a chūnin. He can't really afford to k-keep it ru-running for too long at a time," she explained softly, blushing lightly at being the focus of attention. "Since I also have a d-dōjutsu-type kek-k-kei genkai, I also have that p-problem. P-plus," here, her voice became even softer, and she spoke swiftly, almost conspiratorially. "P-possessing a kekkei genkai isn't everything."

"Huh?" Kiba asked, curiosity prevalent in his voice. "Having some super-awesome kekkei genkai would be amazing, though! All I have is my clan's traits." The Inuzuka sounded rather put-out by that thought, appearing almost petulant.

This time, Ino took the reins. "Well, if you think about it Kiba, a kekkei genkai is just like any other shinobi skill, except only some people can use it. If you grow too reliant on it, then your other skills will suffer." All of the other genin, and even Kakashi, nodded at the wisdom of her words, and Kiba in turn nodded, albeit begrudgingly.

"And besides," Naruto began, drawing attention to himself. "Clan traits are technically passive kekkei genkai. Like the Uzumaki Clan's chakra. We were known as the Chōju no Ichizoku {Clan of Longevity}, because we generally live 10-15 years more than almost everyone else. Even other Clans, like the Senju." The pride in his kindred was obvious in the boy's tone, but also a deep well of sadness, at being the last of what was once a prominent Clan.

Kiba snorted. "Heh, can't be _that_ amazing since they're not around anymore," he commented blithely, and Naruto growled lowly. Interestingly, all of the other Rookies also glared accusingly at the Inuzuka, who frowned. "What?"

Kakashi intervened before the situation could worsen, and the approaching chakra signature simply made it even easier to do so. "That'll be us for today, kids! Run along home! Naruto, Sasuke, Shizune's here for you!" But the blond had already figured that out, judging by the way his head had turned in her direction. The brief moments of incredible sensing he was showing startled the Copy-nin, sometimes.

Naruto's talents were both great, and... fleeting. For periods of time, he would become an exceptional sensor, while at others he would struggle. At times, he would use his Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains) in such a way that made him look, for a moment, the spitting image of his mother. Sometimes, his fingers flicked through seals with the ease of long-practice that he hadn't actually put in, and others he would fumble around the precision that tripped up most inexperienced nin. And it wasn't just his jutsu, either. His personality was constantly shifting. Sometimes he was arrogant, others uncertain. Sometimes brash, sometimes thoughtful. Loud, quiet. Snarky, polite. Overeager, patient. It was a constant, shifting battle of emotions that left his comrades rather uncertain of what to make of him and how to handle him.

Well, except for Sasuke, that is. But Sasuke had too many psychological problems on his own to worry about the young Uzumaki's fluctuating psyche.

All the genin began to rise from their places, separating with quick farewells. Chōji sat down next to Shikamaru, who had simply lain back in the grass and begun cloud-watching. Sakura and Ino dragged a half-heartedly struggling Hinata off in the direction of the shopping district for what was most likely some form of shopping spree or beauty day. Shino and Kiba walked off towards their clan compounds, the brash Inuzuka bickering with his stoic counterpart the whole way. And Naruto and Sasuke stood and walked over to Shizune, who entered the clearing with a warm smile.

* * *

><p>Tsunade didn't really know how it had happened.<p>

The kid had somehow - _somehow_ - weaselled his way into her home. He'd struck up some form of positive relationship with Naruto, and they'd ended up becoming so closely knit that they _insisted_ that he move in with them. _Insisted_ it, of a _Sannin_! And old Sarutobi hadn't helped by saying it was a bloody brilliant idea, and that he should have thought of it _sooner_. He wasn't the one stuck with the brat. And of course Naruto had _insisted_ that if Sasuke couldn't stay, he wouldn't either.

Triad-dammit.

So now, she had an Uchiha kid living with them, too. And with Jiraiya insisting on staying in their home – _'to tend to our godson!'_, as he'd insisted - things were starting to get ridiculous. Who next? Haruno? Hatake?

Actually, no. _No_. Nonononononono. Tsunade refused to have those thoughts. She could do without owning the whole damned _set_ of gakis.

Naruto had moved out of his apartment immediately upon his release from the hospital, but had insisted on not selling it. After speaking to Sarutobi, who had explained the situation surrounding the apartment, and Naruto's subsequent sentimental attachment to the building, it had been decided to maintain the building as a storage space and additional living space.

"We're home, Tsunade-obasan {Aunt Tsunade}!" a voice shouted – one that was growing steadily more familiar. And she was _very_ happy with that fact.

The two young shinobi strode into the house, Shizune walking behind them and chatting to the Uchiha, smiling kindly. Naruto walked up to Tsunade and she eagerly caught him in a tight embrace.

"Have a good day, gaki?" asked the Senju after she broke the hug.

The younger blond grinned effusively. "Yeah! I landed a couple of good hits in on Sasuke here," a momentary pause, to elbow his stoic cousin in the side, "and didn't cop as much of a beating as I could've! Who knows, maybe I'll finally show this prick the who's-who one day soon!" the Uzumaki exclaimed jokingly, moving to elbow the younger raven again, which the boy smoothly dodged.

"Hn. Maybe," Sasuke commented, thoroughly unruffled, and Tsunade rolled her eyes even as Naruto and Shizune laughed.

"What do you think you two will go and do now, then?" Shizune asked kindly of the two boys.

Naruto and Sasuke shared a look. "I'm going to go take a powernap," Naruto said, which everybody knew was code for 'pop my clones like balloons and assimilate all the information/skills they've gathered'. The Senju woman had given up weeks ago on convincing her godson to not take as many risks in his training – he was far too stubborn, just like Kushina.

"And I am going to go do further research into Uchiha Kazue and her past," Sasuke announced, as if anyone cared. Although, judging by the grateful smile he shot the Uchiha, and the warm smile she gave the boy, at least Naruto and Shizune did. Tsunade almost frowned.

With a nod from Tsunade and Shizune, the two headed off, eager to set about their self-appointed tasks.

* * *

><p>"It's not working well," Inoichi said by way of greeting when he entered his office, and Hiruzen blinked.<p>

"Pardon?" he asked softly, not really daring to believe what he thought the man was saying. He could so definitely _not_ afford such a complication. Not when he was as busy as he was.

The Yamanaka Clan Head sighed. Sarutobi vaguely considered the possibility that the phenomenon was contagious. "I'm seeing few results with the treatment of Uzumaki Naruto. Well, rather, I'm seeing results, but he regresses just as fast. Take yesterday, as an example. Last I saw him, he was doing well. Yesterday, he'd completely reverted to how he was before last session happened - abrupt, snappish, sour, sombre… it's like he's trying out a lucky dip of emotions. I swear I bore witness to the entire spectrum, today. And now, he's encountering memories of when Mito was a mother," he winced, and Hiruzen winced in turn. He didn't especially want to experience _that_.

The Sandaime rubbed his chin in thought. "Do you have any ideas on how to fix this?"

"Well, I believe that I can only offer so much to Naruto-san. It would be... prudent for him to undergo counselling with another Yamanaka as well, preferably a mother," the man finally admitted.

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed in thought, considering the option. It did sound like it would be the most _plausible_ way to deal with the problem, but the sheer danger of adding another individual into the already-great pool of knowledge about Naruto was... exceedingly dangerous. Not to mention that, although rare, Yamanaka traitors were nigh-impossible to root out, considering the fact that they were adept enough to hide their own treasonous thoughts from prying eyes - or jutsu. "Would Tsunade not be enough?" the Sandaime questioned. "She _is_ the foremost expert on healing the physical brain, and has much experience working with Yamanaka who suffer excessive Recollection."

Inoichi shook his head slowly, frowning. "I considered that, I will admit. However, Naruto is already struggling with his emotions regarding Tsunade-sama enough. Adding the therapist/patient relationship to their interactions isn't going to help _anyone_. Plus, I already have someone in mind."

"And who would that be?" Hiruzen asked.

"Yamanaka Mitsu."

Sarutobi sighed, then almost snarled. _'Triad-dammit. Stop sighing, you old fool!'_

"Very well," he acquiesced, frowning. "You have my permission. But keep it _quiet_, Inoichi."

The younger man nodded. "Of course, Hokage-sama," he said, and then departed.

After that was done with, Hiruzen returned to considering his situation with the Go-Ikenban {Honoured Opinion Watch}. They'd had three meetings since the one in which he had brought recent developments to their attention, and he was slowly noticing prominent irregularities. When in the meeting chamber, he was much more pliable, easily open to suggestion and losing any form of decisiveness he possessed when entering. It felt like a conditioned response, but _how_ the response was conditioned, he had yet to discover.

There was also something about the chakra presences in the room that felt off, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He was considering allowing Jiraiya - not Tsunade, because _that_ would be a mistake and a half - to come with him for the next meeting, and see if he could determine what was wrong.

Rubbing his forehead in frustration, the Professor elected to open up the Fūin no Sho {Scroll of Seals} and go over the kinjutsu contained within _again_. Hopefully, he would find some kind of hint as to what was happening.

The alternative was... not something he wished to contemplate.

* * *

><p>Kakashi sat down in front of the genin, Asuma on his left and Kurenai on his right. He held small sheets of paper in his hands, and all of the Rookies looked at him in curiosity.<p>

It was Sakura who got it first. "Those are Elemental Chakra Papers!" she exclaimed, staring up at her sensei in shock. "Are we discovering our Elemental Affinities, Kakashi-sensei?" As she asked this, all of the other genin perked up in interest.

The silver-haired jōnin nodded. "Indeed, we are. Normally, elemental chakra manipulation is done once you reach chūnin level, but since you are all a unique case - both in that some of you know some elemental ninjutsu-" here, he looked explicitly at Sasuke and Naruto, who smirked and beamed, respectively "-and you are, in general, the next generation of Konoha, it seems prudent to speed this process up. Especially with the Chūnin Exams in a few months..." he trailed off slightly in thought, and the genin - en masse - raised their eyebrows.

"The Chūnin Exams?" Chōji asked hesitantly, voice betraying his nerves. "You're going to enter us into them?"

Kurenai nodded at him. "Indeed. The Hokage wants the next generation available to show off to the visiting village leaders and such," she responded, smiling softly at the nervous Akimichi. "Hokage-sama says that both the Raikage and Kazekage are showing interest in attending the exams, as well, so you'll likely be fighting some of the most powerful genin of those villages." Evidently, her smile belied her bad news. Chōji, and several of the others, looked rather frightened.

"Don't worry, though, we're going to train you hard in more powerful techniques, now that you've got your basics mastered," Asuma informed them, taking a drag of his cigarette. And it was true - they had completely mastered their basics, for the most part. Naruto still couldn't manage a simple Bushin no Jutsu (Clone Technique), but he'd managed to improve his chakra control enough that he could pull off his Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) again, which he hadn't managed at first due to the way his abysmal control had worsened with the sudden quadrupling of his chakra reserves - currently, he had around four times the amount of chakra as Kakashi had **(3)**. Speed had been another important factor, alongside taijutsu - their sensei generally ranked most of them as chūnin-level in both areas. They'd also all trained in the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) to extreme lengths. Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba and Shikamaru had proven to be naturals with the technique.

On the side, the Clan-born shinobi had all worked on their Clan techniques and/or kekkei genkai, and Sakura on some genjutsu taught to her by Kurenai. Sakura, Hinata and Ino had also been slaving relentlessly over some scrolls on the basics of iryō-ninjutsu, kindly provided by Tsunade. Naruto himself had also, slowly, worked on improving his Kusari usage - he remembered, now, that the initial release of the Kongō Fūsa was incredibly potent; after that, it was necessary to train in them, to improve the number the user could sustain at any one time, the ease of use, and the amount of control the user had over the technique. In his first attempt to consciously wield the chains, Naruto had barely managed to maintain a five-metre chain for five seconds. Now, he was up to one of double the length for thirty, or two for twenty.

Aside from that, he had also been working on his calligraphy and fūinjutsu, but that was slow-going despite having the memories of his predecessors - both being masters in the art - since there was muscle memory to build up, and there were just _so many_ levels to fūinjutsu mastery. Currently, he was just broaching the third of twenty levels, slowly working his way up to their knowledge and ability. It was difficult, however, because even though he _knew_ such powerful examples as the Mahi Fūin (Paralysis Seal) and Fūinjutsu: Chakura Baindo (Sealing Art: Chakra Bind), and a few others besides, he couldn't use them yet because his penmanship and chakra control hadn't yet improved to the level where he could craft such potent seals. And if he _wasn't_ careful with that, wasn't paranoid and particular about how well done they were - which were, of course, attitudes impressed deeply into Mito and Kushina, and thus himself - then they would either not activate at all, or do so... violently. He'd lost a Kage Bunshin - or twenty – to trialling fūinjutsu that were simply beyond his skill before he had the mastery level necessary. His chakra control also hadn't improved to the level of being able to use any form of genjutsu yet, and even a Henge (Transformation) had been beyond him for the first week or so. He _had_ been working hard on it, though, and with the help of his Kage Bunshin, he'd managed to improve his control to the degree where he could easily direct chakra to his feet for water-walking and tree-climbing, like all of his classmates.

His sensory skills had... escaped him, somewhat. They were fluctuating in a very strange manner, and he still didn't have the control necessary to use them fully. Sensing was a talent reliant on a heightened degree of chakra control, and since he was still struggling with it, he couldn't expect his skills in sensing to be particularly potent for a while. Even as they spoke, though, Naruto had around a hundred Kage Bunshin practicing chakra control in the Senju Compound, another forty practicing the techniques Inoichi had taught him for balancing his mind, and another ten reading and re-reading scrolls and books on history, to gain perspective for both his old memories, and for the modern world.

"Anyway," Kakashi interrupted, eye-smiling at the children. "Let's get this show on the road. Who's first?" No sooner than he had said it, had Sasuke appeared in front of him, Kiba and Naruto right on his heels. The others lined up in a more orderly fashion.

He held the paper up for them all to see first, however. "You will need to channel a small amount of chakra into the paper. If you have a natural affinity to Katon, the paper will ignite and turn to ash; if you have an affinity to Fūton, the paper will be cut cleanly in two; if you have an affinity for Raiton, the paper will wrinkle; if you have an affinity to Doton, the paper will turn to dust and crumble away; and if you have an affinity to Suiton, the paper will become damp. The strength of your affinity is shown with both the order it occurs in, if you wield two natural affinities - which is, in and of itself, rare - and on the degree to which the change takes place. For example," he said, and channelled chakra into one. It crinkled dramatically, immediately, and he held it up. "My affinity is for Raiton. Remember, of course, that you _can_ use techniques outside of your affinity, but they will be less effective, cost more chakra, and require stricter control."

With that said, he handed one to Sasuke. All the other Rookies, regardless of their previous order, gathered around to watch as the Uchiha channelled a small amount of chakra to the paper. Immediately, it crinkled drastically, and then caught fire and slowly burned to ash. Asuma whistled. "Two natural affinities! Nice, kid!" A slight twitch appeared in Sasuke's eye at being called 'kid', but the jōnin either didn't notice, or ignored it. "By the looks of that, your Katon isn't overly hot," there was a collective groan, "but your Raiton affinity is pretty damn strong. Kakashi will be the best to help with the latter, and I'll do the former," he said, nodding to his counterpart, who nodded in turn. Sasuke smirked.

Kiba was next. Taking the paper, he made a big show of channelling his chakra into it. The paper caught fire with a speed that startled Kiba into dropping it, turning to ash immediately. Kakashi chuckled at the sight, as the genin laughed. "That's a powerful Katon affinity, Kiba. All three of us," here, he looked back at Kurenai and Asuma briefly, then redirected his attention on the Inuzuka, "are capable of Katon ninjutsu, and while Asuma has the strongest affinity for it, I have the best techniques, so we'll likely work together to train you on that." He studiously ignored Asuma's disgruntled muttering, instead fixing an eye-smile on the grinning genin.

Next was Naruto. "Ha!" Kiba laughed, and his grin took on a decidedly cocky edge. Evidently, he was on a bit of a high after learning he had a powerful affinity. "Bet the dobe doesn't even manage to have an affinity at all!" he claimed, ignoring the dirty looks he got, and the low growl from Sasuke.

The three jōnin frowned. They would really have to nip that attitude in the bud, but now was not the time. Kurenai did reprimand him with a sharp "_Kiba!"_, however. Naruto just rolled his eyes and smiled slightly, before channelling chakra into the paper. What followed was a display few of them were likely to forget any time soon.

The paper split cleanly down the middle with a speed that startled them, still sitting on Naruto's palm. However, immediately after that, the left side of the paper crinkled, and the right side ignited and burned itself to ash.

Kurenai gasped despite herself. "I have never seen an individual with three affinities before, barring the Sandaime himself," she said softly, shock and awe colouring her tone. She looked up and met the blond's eyes, and for a moment was struck by how he didn't seem fazed at all. Surely he understood how impressive this was? "And of such potency..." she trailed off slightly, feeling something strange in the air. Turning, she saw Asuma uncharacteristically _grinning_ at the boy, exuding an aura of glee. She actually took a step back in shock. _'What the...'_

"Oh, I am going to have _so much fun_ with this kid!" he exclaimed. Next to him, Kakashi was staring at the boy's hand in shock, and the other genin were staring at the blond in awe - barring, of course, Sasuke and Kiba, who both stared at the hand with a mix of incredulity and envy, especially in the case of the latter. The Sarutobi ignored all of this, however. "God, I love this idea of Dad's, setting us up with nine genin for three teachers instead of three for one!"

Shaking himself, Kakashi nodded. "Asuma and I will train you in Fūton and Katon, and Raiton respectively, Naruto. But since you have three affinities, you'll likely have to do a lot of training on your own so that we can work with the other genin. Your Kage Bunshin should help with that," he said, and Naruto nodded. Sakura frowned.

"But Kakashi-sensei, how would clones help with Naruto's training?" she asked, because that made absolutely _no sense_.

The jōnin eye-smiled at her. "The Kage Bunshin is a special technique, invented by the Nidaime Hokage. Naruto, however, is a user of the Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique), its greater counterpart. Knowledge and expertise gained by a Kage Bunshin is passed on to the original user, which means it can be used for both information gathering, and training. However," he continued, overriding whatever Sasuke and Kiba were about to say, "the jutsu is incredibly chakra intensive. Only Naruto, as an Uzumaki and a jinchūriki, can safely use the technique. The rest of you simply don't have the chakra to use it without potentially killing yourselves."

Amidst the grumbling that followed, Hinata stepped up and received her chakra paper. Channelling chakra into it, the paper turned sodden very quickly and soaked her hands. Kurenai nodded. "That's standard for your Clan, Hinata. Kakashi is our best Suiton ninjutsu user, so you'll work with him," she said, and the girl nodded hesitantly. "That's a powerful affinity, though," the red-eyed woman added, smiling softly at her. The young heiress nodded more firmly, a soft smile of her own alighting her features.

Chōji was next. Again, it was a mostly expected reaction. "A fairly powerful Doton affinity - nice, Chōji," Asuma said as his student wiped his hands off on his shorts, trying to dislodge the dirt that clung to his sweaty palms. "That's Kakashi's thing, again, so he'll work with you on that." The Akimichi nodded, smiling slightly, and grinned at his best friend, who smirked back in response.

Next was Ino, who - like the first two boys - actually seemed rather keen to discover her affinity, since she was practically bouncing on the spot. She poured a tad too much chakra into the paper in her haste, but not enough to bring about any changes in the outcome. The paper wrinkled slightly on one side and became very sodden on the other. "A minor Raiton affinity coupled with a powerful Suiton affinity is a good mix, Ino," Kakashi said slowly, contemplatively. "Looks like I'll be seeing a lot of you," he commented, and she grinned at him.

It was at this stage that Shikamaru asked the question weighing on many of their minds. "Ano, Kakashi-sensei, how will you train so many of us at once?"

Naruto was the one who responded. "Kage Bunshin," he said simply, and Shikamaru turned to him and raised an eyebrow in question. He'd _seen_ those Bunshin of Naruto's at work, and it would make sense for a jōnin to be capable of the technique, but... "Chakra is also passed between the user and the Bunshin," Naruto explained patiently. "It's the reason why the technique is as dangerous as sensei said it is - the chakra of the user is balanced equally amongst the clones. Effectively, they can complete the same tasks as the original, although with less chakra. This includes teaching and utilizing jutsu." Shikamaru and the others nodded at his explanation, and the three adults looked at the blond approvingly.

After Ino came Sakura, always eager to outdo her rival. As it so happened, however, this was not the case. "A reasonably powerful Doton affinity and a slight leaning towards Katon. That's a good duo, Sakura," Kurenai told her, smiling again at the disheartened genin. "Mix those two with the genjutsu I'm showing you, and you could become quite the kunoichi," she announced, and Sakura nodded firmly, reinvigorated. With Kurenai's help, the fangirl in her was slowly withering and dying. She would deal.

Shino stepped forward next, and _this_ was the one they were curious about. The three jōnin weren't even sure that the Aburame would use elemental ninjutsu - generally, his Clan avoided anything that didn't make use of their kikaichū - but the boy did indeed take the paper and channel a small amount of chakra into it. Asuma whistled when he saw the result - a swift, sharp cut down the centre of the paper. "Well I'll be - two Fūton affinities for me to play with. Do you know if that is a common thing among your Clan, Shino-san?" he asked.

Shino hesitated for a moment before responding. "Generally, we do not check our elemental affinities, although I can see the logic in Fūton being the common affinity amongst my Clan." The three jōnin raised their eyebrows in curiosity, but didn't mention it.

Of course, after Shino came Shikamaru, and the Nara didn't fail to live up to his Clan's status as - nigh exclusively - possessing Katon chakra natures. Not an overly strong affinity, but enough to set up as a basis for them to work with. "I'll help you with that, Shikamaru," Asuma said, and the Nara heir nodded, yawning slightly. The three jōnin studiously ignored the muttered 'troublesome'.

"Aside from your elemental training, Kurenai is going to be putting you through your paces in anti-genjutsu training, and continued physical conditioning," Kakashi announced. "We're also looking into doing some weapons training with those of you that want it." A few of the genin grinned. Sasuke and Naruto in particular looked towards Kakashi, hoping for some kenjutsu lessons. Interestingly enough, it was Shikamaru who approached Asuma, asking for help in learning bōjutsu, for whatever reason. The Sarutobi was happy to oblige.

And then, they got down to training.

* * *

><p><strong>Three Weeks Later<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>WARNING: GORY CONTENT AHEAD. NOT ADVISED FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.<strong>

**Basic description for the squeamish: **Mito sneaks into a top-secret facility, where the corpse of Uchiha Yusu is being held (twin to Uchiha Kagami). Yusu's 'victim' referenced in the following scene is Uchiha Naka. Yusu had recently given birth (underage pregnancy), and her body had been mutilated (in battle), including the removal and destruction of her eyes. Mito is highly self-recriminating for her death.

**If you don't want to read it, please feel free to skip ahead to the next scene.**

* * *

><p>As he slept, Naruto experienced another memory from Mito's perspective.<p>

She was crouching, hiding in the shadow of the buildings on either side of her as she awaited her opportunity to move further forward. Remorse churned in her gut, a deep-seated guilt that she normally buried, now prevalent in her mind. She _needed_ to see her, even if it was too late. Even if they had never actually met. Even if-

Her breath caught.

_'Even if she is dead.'_

And she was. By Kami, she was. And it was all her fault.

Tensing in preparation to move forward, Mito halted as her husband's younger brother strode out of the room containing her target. Tobirama was the reigning Hokage, as of five years prior, when Hashirama retired to assist Mito in raising their second child, Senju Katsuro. Of course, the only reason Tobirama hadn't spotted her was because she had access to the Chakura Inpei no Jutsu (Chakra Suppression Technique), although it completely blocked her abilities as a sensor, and user of the Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Kagura). She couldn't use her Kyūbi Chakura Mōdo (Nine-Tails Chakra Mode), either, because it would turn her into a massive chakra beacon, thus eliminating any stealth. She couldn't even use a simple Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Hiding With Camouflage Technique), because that would require the usage of chakra. It was the Chakura Inpei no Jutsu's greatest weakness - if you used chakra of any type, even for something as simple as wall-walking, you disrupted the technique.

So, she was stuck winging it. Which made things... difficult.

Finally, Tobirama and his two companions - Uchiha Naka, the chief victim of the deceased, and Uchiha Kagami, the twin brother of the deceased - rounded the corner, disappearing from sight. Keeping an eye out for any seals designed to detect movement - a personal favourite of Tobirama's - Mito leapt the distance between the two sides of the road, taking care not to use any chakra to ease her actions, and slapped a pre-readied Fūinjutsu Uchikeshi Fūin (Sealing Art Negation Seal) against the door, pushing it open in the same movement. Quickly, she shut the door as quietly as possible - and _really_, a noisy, creaking door was an _entirely_ unnecessary safety precaution, on Tobirama's part - and crept down the hall of Konoha's ANBU lab. The lab itself was not common knowledge in the village, only being used by the Hokage and a few close attendants - primarily Shimura Hidenobu, the village's chief scientist - and even then, only at certain times. The seals on the facility were among the most advanced in the village, and only Hidenobu and Tobirama knew how to negate them.

Well. Mito was not a preeminent fūinjutsu specialist for nothing.

Mito had been in the facility once, six years previously when Madara's body spent some time in the facility's morgue before being entombed near the Valley of the End, as it had come to be known. Thus, she knew how to make her way to the location of Uchiha Yusu's corpse, bypassing several traps and deactivating the separate seal on the door - quite a nice piece of work, even by the standards of Tobirama's paranoia. Easing the door open, Mito stepped into the room.

The room was white-walled, and reeked of sterility in the way only hospitals normally did. Some documents, likely detailing Yusu's injuries and crimes, were stacked on a shelf on the left side of the room, and to the right was an ebony-wood coffin absolutely _crawling_ in fūinjutsu, which Mito promptly deactivated. She stalled for a moment, debating with herself as to whether she really wanted to see. Eventually, however, she decided that she simply _had_ to.

So she did it.

Lifting up the coffin lid, she took in the full form of the woman in the coffin. Spiky black hair framed an immaculate face, only a few shades paler in death then she was in life. Clad in a simple white kimono, her single, charred left hand lay by her side, and she bore no flesh or bone beneath her hips, a clean cut indicating that she had been bisected with a sword coated in Katon or Raiton chakra. A slight bulge in her abdomen indicated the very recent birth of the girl's son; and really, she could only be considered a girl herself, at age sixteen. Sixteen and pregnant, and one of the most powerful of the up-and-coming generation of Uchiha.

And her life had been cut short by Mito's failure.

Perhaps the most obvious irregularity in the corpse was not the singular blackened hand, or the lack of legs, but rather the shadowed, unseeing pits where her eyes once were.

* * *

><p>Shizune awoke to the sound of screaming.<p>

Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama were both away helping Sarutobi do some 'pertinent research' that evening, and wouldn't be returning for some hours yet. Tired from a shift at the hospital, she had gone to bed early.

She ran through to the room, Sasuke hot on her heels from across the corridor. Immediately running over to Naruto, she engulfed him in a hug and sat on the bed, doing her best to comfort the distraught blond.

"Yusu is _dead_, Shizune-nee!" he cried, whimpering. He thrashed and squirmed in her grip, but Shizune wasn't a jōnin for nothing - she easily maintained her grip, clutching the weeping form close to her own. He was hyperventilating, she realised, his breath coming in unnatural patterns. All she did was squeeze him tighter. It was all she could think to do, her training momentarily left her as she saw the young boy panic.

When Naruto had mostly calmed, Shizune sat him down, an arm around his shoulder. She used her other hand to surreptitiously gesture for Sasuke to sit on the blond's other side, which the younger raven did.

"Do you want to talk about what you saw, Naruto?" the woman asked, ignoring the Uchiha's curiosity.

Naruto seemed uncertain, his voice quiet. "I think… she was mourning someone. Yusu. Uchiha Yusu."

"Uchiha Yusu?" Sasuke echoed, eyes keen. "How do you know that name?"

Shizune and Naruto both hesitated, looking at each other, then decided to simply explain the memory situation to the Uchiha. He was Naruto's closest friend and distant cousin – they could trust him.

For his part, Sasuke was quiet and patient, listening attentively. There was silence for some time after Naruto finished, before he nodded. "That makes sense. It explains the changes in your personality, and the times when you space out. I believe you," he assured the blond, who smiled.

"Thanks, Sasuke," he said, and meant it. The raven nodded in turn, smiling slightly himself.

"You said you'd heard of Uchiha Yusu, Sasuke-kun?" Shizune asked, bringing attention back towards the initial issue.

The male raven snorted. "Heard of her? She's the most notorious traitor to the Uchiha since Madara himself." He hesitated for a moment, before adding. "Had she not been disowned, she would have also been my ōba-san {Great Aunt}. She was my ojii-san's {Grandfather's} twin sister."

Naruto stared at Sasuke intently, for a reason even he wasn't entirely aware of. An interest he couldn't quite place, although he felt that it belonged more to Mito, than himself. "Disowned? What happened to her?"

"I don't know the full story," the Uchiha admitted. "But supposedly, she used a genjutsu of incredible power to turn a fellow Uchiha against Konoha, forcing him to butcher dozens of shinobi. It was that victim, once he was redeemed, alongside his wife and the Nidaime who killed her."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "You think Mito-sama cared for this Uchiha, Naruto-kun?" Shizune asked curiously, feeling more than a little lost. It was an odd thought, although it might have some form of relation to the birth of Naruto's grandfather, Atsushi.

"She feels something for Yusu," Naruto said. "But I can't name the emotion, though I feel like I should be able to…"

"Try," Sasuke insisted, ignoring the disapproving look Shizune sent at him.

"… like what okaa-chan felt for me." The blond said after some time. He swallowed, eyes going wide in realisation. "A mother's love."

* * *

><p>The next morning, a cry of "<span>Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Wild Water Wave)<span>!" echoed throughout Training Ground 4.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique)," Sasuke returned, his jutsu meeting Ino's in an explosion of chakra. As the two elements battled it out, steam began to set in over the training ground, obscuring the view of the two genin.

After the two jutsu finally ceased, Asuma clapped his hands together and released pure Fūton chakra, clearing the steam. "Good work, you two!" he praised, grinning. Ino beamed at her sensei, and Sasuke smirked slightly. "Next, Chōji and Kiba!"

The Akimichi's Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall) stood against Kiba's own Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique) well, Chōji demonstrating incredible awareness and control over his element by defending simultaneously from the multiple angles the technique attacked from. Kiba's fire never quite managed to destroy his target's earthen defence, and so, the fight was called. The Inuzuka valiantly resisted the urge to pout.

"That was still quite good, Kiba," Kakashi told the young brunette. "Give yourself a bit more time and training, and you'll likely be able to match Chōji." The Inuzuka nodded, reinvigorated.

Sakura and Shikamaru were next, Sakura's Doton ninjutsu standing against Shikamaru's Katon valiantly, until finally their sensei ordered the two jutsu to be released, a stalemate apparent. Neither of the two were particularly chakra powerhouses – not even on the same level as Shino or Chōji, let alone Sasuke or _Naruto_ – but both were gradually managing longer, more powerful jutsu.

A shout of "Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Formation Wall)!" signalled Hinata's counterattack to Shino's Fūton: Shinkūgyoku (Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere), the wide-range jutsu requiring vigilant defence on the Hyūga's part. Shino's attacks made it through eventually, however, his chakra more abundant than the heiress'. After a little healing – very little damage was done, as Shino was careful to ensure – they were ready to continue.

Finally, Naruto – as the chakra powerhouse of the group – had to bring one of his jutsu to bear against one of their sensei.

Kakashi's Gōkakyū pulled no punches, flying towards his student with startling speed. Even as Kurenai and Asuma were about to intervene – startled exclamations of shock coming from the genin – Naruto announced his jutsu. "Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"

_'What?! Is he mad?'_ Sakura thought, fear for her teammate rising. _'Wind is weak to Fire, you dolt!'_

But imagine the collective surprise when, instead of empowering Kakashi's jutsu, Naruto's wind instead overcame the Katon through sheer power and turned the fire around on its caster.

Kakashi's single visible eye widened for a moment, before he flashed through the seals for a Suijinheki, the defensive wall rising to his defence in the last possible moment.

After Asuma had once more cleared the resultant steam, Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, grinning.

"Don't try that at home, kids," the Copy-nin commented blithely, eye-smiling. "Now, let's do it the other way 'round! Sasuke, Chōji, Sakura, Hinata, Naruto!" he called. "Time to play offence!"

* * *

><p>That evening, Naruto went to speak to Inoichi for his second appointment with the elder blond that week. The room was one of many in the Yamanaka Clan's 'Mental Retreat' - a place often frequented by traumatised shinobi. The walls were painted white and the floor was a light-cream carpet, of the variety your toes could happily get lost in. Plants could be found in corners of the room, and a window facing the Hokage monument was set into the right wall. Against the opposite wall to the window sat a long couch, and at a left-diagonal to <em>that<em> was a single chair, in which sat the Yamanaka Clan Head.

"Do you have any inkling as to why Mito would feel motherly towards Yusu?" Inoichi asked slowly, considering.

"I… I…" And Naruto tried, really, he did, but he couldn't call forth a memory. No thought would trigger it. "No. I'm sorry."

"Do you believe you could have misunderstood the memory, at all? Isn't it possible you mistook a general fondness or some such for something else? After all, I doubt you've ever felt a maternal instinct towards someone," he commented, a light smirk to show the younger blond he was joking.

The Uzumaki did laugh a little, before replying, "I don't think so. There was an… intensity to it that makes me think it was more than that."

The Yamanaka nodded slowly, considering. "Show me the memory?" At Naruto's hesitant nod, the man entered his mind, reviewing the memory and comparing it to what little experience he had with maternal instinct – one or two mind-walks into the mind of a mother. And, he had to admit, the jinchūriki seemed to be right.

Naruto sighed, after Inoichi told him as much. "It's bugging me… I feel like I should know already, but I just can't figure out why. I don't know _how_ to figure it out, either," he said, put-out.

The man sighed. "It's fine, Naruto-san. But perhaps we can work on triggering a relevant memory. Not now," he added, when the younger blond shifted uncomfortably, "I have something else to speak with you about.

"I have spoken to the Hokage regarding your regression, as well as your struggles with the more... physical aspects of experiencing Mito-sama and Kushina-sama's memories," Inoichi began. He noted, with some amusement, that the younger's cheeks went a deep red. "He agreed that you need counselling in this regard. I, however, cannot provide the specific help you require." And at that, Inoichi stood, strode to the door, said "But there is someone who can," and opened it.

In the open doorway stood a short, androgynous figure with short-cut orange hair. They had the same sea-foam green eyes of their kinsman, Inoichi, but their complexion was slightly lighter than his was. They were dressed in a simple white outfit, and projected an aura of friendliness, sympathy, and quiet confidence. Their voice, too was androgynous, leaving Naruto blinking. "Greetings, Naruto-kun. I take it you have no problem with me calling you that?" Before Naruto could respond, however, they continued, "I am Yamanaka Mitsu."

Naruto nodded slowly, appearing slightly put-out that _another_ person would be peering into his mind. "No problems, Yamanaka-san. Inoichi-san said you can help me?"

Mitsu nodded softly, smiling. "Please, call me Mitsu. And yes, I believe I can help you; especially with your little Recollection problem."

Naruto turned his head to the side in confusion. "'Recollection'?"

Mitsu nodded once more. "Indeed. That is the name given by we of the Yamanaka for those who struggle to come to terms with the memories and sensations they experience in the body - or mind - of another. You can imagine how excessive Recollection would be dangerous for those who experience it? Especially in the shinobi lifestyle?" When the blond nodded, they continued. "I specialise in treating people not via ninjutsu, but rather by conditioning and training the mind, and repairing the psyche. Somewhat of a psychologist, if you will." **(4)**

Naruto stared intently at the Yamanaka for a moment, eyes narrowed in contemplation. "So... you won't be fossicking through my head? Everything is done without cracking my brain apart with a jutsu and having a look around?"

Mitsu smiled. "Indeed, although that doesn't mean that the process will be _easy_, either. It will take time, and will be - at some points - rather painful. It's really the strength of the patient and their resolve that decides how effective this treatment will be. Not everyone is made for this type of treatment."

The two Yamanaka knew that they'd convinced him when the indignant flash of anger lit in his eyes. "I can deal!" he exclaimed haughtily, with all the arrogance an exceptionally short pre-teen could effuse in three words.

As Inoichi watched them interact, he allowed himself a moment of hope that this may, in fact, work out.

Possibly.

Maybe.

* * *

><p><strong>A Week Later<strong>

* * *

><p>"You've all been doing very well," Kurenai told them. "With your heightened physical conditions and ability to overcome low-level genjutsu – and some more potent ones – I'd wager you'd all beat the average genin quite easily, even one on one." Her pride in the 9 genin was evident in her voice, a smile on her lips.<p>

"For those of you training in weapons, you're doing pretty damn well," Asuma admitted. "You're picking up the tricks of the bukijutsu {Weapons Techniques} trade pretty quickly. And our three resident medics," a look to the three girls, who each perked up slightly, "are also doing very well. According to Tsunade-sama, you three are knowledgeable enough to treat most common colds and injuries." He too was smiling, his ever-present cigarette moving oddly with the motion.

Kakashi eye-smiled at all the genin, his voice a lazy drawl. "You're all doing pretty well in your elemental chakra manipulation training. Some more than others, admittedly," here, he spared a half-second to look at Sasuke and Naruto, "but you're all doing far better than would possibly be expected of genin. After all, three elemental techniques under your belts before you're even chūnin is quite impressive."

"The exams are in a month," Kurenai continued. "You're definitely all chūnin material technique-wise. But you need some more experience, to ensure that you know what to do when faced with certain situations in the field."

"So..." Sakura began lowly, thoughtfully. "Mission, then?" she asked. The eagerness in her voice was painfully obvious to the three sensei, as was the way all the other genin notably perked up in interest. Even Shino.

The three jōnin nodded. "Yup." After all - what could possibly go wrong?

* * *

><p>As it turned out, things went wrong very quickly.<p>

It started with the fact that their client wasn't _there_. Apparently, she'd run away.

Brilliant.

The fact that Kiba, Chōji and Ino (and, admittedly, part of Naruto himself) were major Fujikaze Yukie fans certainly didn't help. Regardless, the genin of Teams 7 and 10 waited impatiently with Kurenai and Asuma while Team 8, led by Kakashi with ninken in tow, tracked the renegade actress. With them stood Yukie's manager, Asama Sandayū, who was detailing the remaining shinobi on their target.

"Yukie-sama is very... _brusque_," he explained, frowning slightly. Whether it was from discontent or the effort of wording his comment in a polite way, Naruto was unsure. "She does not appreciate being sent across international borders for her career, especially to Yuki no Kuni {Land of Snow}."

"Why does she have something against that country in particular?" Sakura asked, nonplussed.

"Ah! It's... well it's because of the cold! She's used to the warm climate of Hi no Kuni {Land of Fire}. She doesn't appreciate being dragged to such a cold place for a simple movie," he replied, doing his best to skirt around his blunder and missing the narrowed eyes of Shikamaru, Sasuke, Naruto and the two jōnin.

"But isn't that better, then? After all, this way she can spread her acting internationally!" Ino chimed in.

Chōji, his interest piqued, inadvertently saved Sandayū from answering. "Huh? Why wouldn't her movies already be international?"

It was Kurenai who replied. "Generally, other nations don't trust each other to not sneak propaganda into their films. With that in mind, it's much easier to simply prevent films from crossing the border, rather than spending their time checking them for any subliminal messages or contradictory attitudes," she said, sighing. "Of course, that just turns the whole thing into a black market, which makes the matter much more complex."

"So Fujikaze-san has never been in a movie outside of Hi no Kuni?" Naruto asked.

"That's correct," Sandayū replied.

"Might make our jobs easier then..." Sasuke muttered, and Naruto was thinking along the same lines. After all, if nobody recognizes the client, then things would be much easier. But that begged the question... why take that many shinobi, if it was such a simple assignment?

Their pondering was cut short by the return of Team 8 and Kakashi, with Yukie slung over Kakashi's back. All three genin, however, looked as if they'd been through a stampede. "What happened to you?" Kurenai demanded, throwing a half-furious, half-exasperated glance at Kakashi, who shrugged unabashedly. Shino replied, giving a quick, concise run-through of their chase of Yukie through the city they had made their way to, after receiving their mission. After she had managed to give them the run-around for about two hours, Shino had managed to make contact with a kikaichū he'd attached to her and they tracked her to a bar. Barring a few side-comments courtesy of Kiba ("Where did she even _get_ a horse, anyway?";"By the Triad, can this woman _drink_!"), the explanation was finished swiftly and the three genin teams, alongside their sensei and clients, made their way to the film studio.

* * *

><p>An hour later found all the male genin piled into a single room, preparing themselves for dinner. At Kakashi's insistence, they were going to dinner unarmed, so as to placate the clients. Sasuke planned to ask Naruto to help him sneak some weapons in with a sealing scroll, however. He was <em>not<em> being caught unprepared.

"So?"

"So what?" Kiba asked, confused.

Chōji rolled his eyes. "What's she like? Fujikaze Yukie... in the _flesh_!" Was he fanboying? Dear god, he was fanboying. Yuck.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the ridiculous conversation, half-tempted to tune it out. It seemed, however, a better idea to learn what they could of the client, and Kiba - as stupid as he was - may have some valuable intelligence.

The Inuzuka huffed out an irritated breath, scowling. "Just because she's a babe, doesn't mean she has the right to be such a bitch!"

Across from him, Naruto turned an eye on Shino. "Shino? What did you think of her?"

The Aburame remained silent for a moment, considering, then responded. "Fujikaze-san is notably antisocial, and has no care for her career or livelihood. In fact, she despises them. Why, you may ask? Because-"

"Yeah yeah, they _get it_," Kiba drawled, waving a dismissive hand through the air. At Shino's silence, Kiba continued. "Basically, she doesn't want to be an actress, doesn't want to come to Yuki no Kuni, and Kakashi-sensei had to abduct her to get her this far."

Sasuke blinked.

That sounded like a _very_ 'Kakashi' thing to do.

Dammit.

* * *

><p>The morning after getting on the boat to Yuki no Kuni, Yukie awoke. To say she was displeased may very well be the understatement of the century.<p>

And so, their first day aboard the ship bound for Yuki no Kuni was spent with a thoroughly discontent actress purposefully sabotaging her scenes and generally being impossible out of pure spite. This, of course, cost them all a great deal of time and stress. More than once, the three jōnin thought they saw their genin's hands itching for weapons, aiming to put themselves out of their miseries in whichever way proved most readily available.

The next day, however, proved to be more interesting.

Naruto and Sasuke were talking, the raven pressing the blond for details of his latest night-terror, when Shikamaru idled over to them. "Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei want us topside to watch the shooting of Fujikaze-san's next scene."

Naruto groaned. "Please, _please_ not again. I don't think I could take it."

Shikamaru sighed. "You think I want to deal with that troublesome woman any more than you do? Regardless, she's our client. We don't really get much choice, here."

The three genin made their way to the vessel's deck, stepping off onto the iceberg they were docked against. They met up with Kurenai, Sakura, Hinata and Ino on the way, and the six genin chatted amicably on their way to the scene.

The last five members of the Konoha contingent waited for the latecomers at the scene location, a small, frozen valley. For the next half hour they watched the crew for the movie fiddle around with prop and actor placement, until finally they were set to shoot.

"Ahahaha!" the villain began, smirking victoriously. "So, hime {Princess}, you've arrived! Well done!"

Yukie and her co-stars settled into something that, with a suitable amount of squinting, could have been a fighting stance. "It's you! Mao!"

"Princess, please, stay ba-"

"Hold on!" Ino shouted, her hands slipping into a handseal, even as the film crew muttered in discontent and the actors turned dirty looks on the young kunoichi.

"Ino? What is it?" Asuma asked, he and the other two jōnin falling into readied stances, pulling weapons out.

Before she could answer, an explosion rocked the iceberg, sending the cast and crew into a state. The genin all ran and took position behind Yukie, Naruto and Sakura each placing a guiding arm on the actress to put further distance between her and the explosion. The three more experienced nin of the Konoha contingent all took positions further forward, calling a warning to the crew to get back.

Three shinobi had appeared in the valley, two men and a woman. One had long, light blue hair tied in a ponytail, and pupil-less teal eyes. Beneath each eye he had a slight marking pointing sharply downwards, his eyebrows full and expansive, and his face pale and - while slightly gaunt - well-defined. He wore the traditional attire of a Yukigakure shinobi, but his hitai-ate was reminiscent of the happuri-style used by the Nidaime Hokage.

"Well, hello," he said. "Welcome to Yuki no Kuni."

"So good to see you again, Koyuki-hime," the woman of the group said. She also wore traditional Yukigakure shinobi attire, but wore her forehead protector as a helmet, two holes on each side allowing pig-tails to stick out the top of it. Her eyes were a bright green and her hair pink, and her face was rounded. "I sincerely hope you still have the hex crystal."

Kakashi turned back to look at the actress, visible eye wide in realisation. "Koyuki-hime?"

Behind the Konoha shinobi and film crew – between them and retreat – the third shinobi appeared; a man with short-cut purple hair and a brutish face and build. He bore the same armour as his teammates, although it appeared bulkier. His eyes were dark and he bore a similar hitai-ate to the first male, barring that it encircled the circumference of his head. "You're as good as the stories say, Hatake. Unfortunately for you and your client, it's likely not good enough."

"Not good enough?" Kurenai asked. "We outnumber you four to one. You'd best surrender now, Yuki-nin."

"We don't…" Ino whispered, horrified, and her comrades turned to look at her.

"Smart girl, that one," the blue-haired man commented, and a further nine shinobi emerged from the snow, although none wore the same armour as the first three. "Hand over Koyuki and nobody has to die."

"Except, that is, for Koyuki. Our client," Kakashi interjected, and the tone of his voice was rather explicit in showing his distaste for the idea. "Naruto, Sakura, protect Koyuki! The rest of you, do what you can to handle the armour-less ones!" He gave no orders to Kurenai and Asuma, but none were necessary, each leaping for a different armoured-nin.

"Rōga Nadare," Kakashi offered to his enemy as they crossed kunai.

"Hatake," the blue-haired man returned. He smirked. "Do try to not run off this time, will you?"

Kakashi's response was a kick, launched at the man's head.

* * *

><p>Naruto flicked a kunai into each hand, taking a stance in front of Yukie – <em>'Koyuki-hime'<em> he corrected himself, and that was odd enough – minutely aware of Sakura making the same movement behind the princess.

The young Uzumaki assessed his surroundings, trying to stretch his sensory talents out as far as possible. However, his ability being non-forthcoming at that point in time, the blond was left having to assess the area visually.

Two enemies sprinting at them from behind, towards the boat, another running head-on at them – caught, he saw by Shikamaru, for scant moments – and no obvious point of escape. Enemy nin had taken positions all around them, a triangular formation with one of the three armoured-nin at each point. No chance of getting the princess cleanly through all these people.

Civilian casualties would also be high, if they weren't careful, he thought, looking at the cowering camera crew off to the side. Even as he watched, a stray kunai soared past them and hit the ground next to the crew, the explosive note attached to it sending a thrill of panic throughout all the non-shinobi present.

Behind him, Koyuki fidgeted, and shivered.

Sakura span on her heel and launched a hail of senbon and shuriken at the approaching shinobi, which they both dodged. Naruto followed that up with a barrage of his own, this time set to coincide with the pinkette's second barrage. One of the two approaching nin dodged cleanly out of the way to the right, but the other was left with no choice but to leap upwards to dodge the attack.

Naruto sprung forward, a Kusari summoned out of his splayed left palm, coursing towards the airborne foe with intent to spear them through the chest. The Yuki-nin – a white-haired, middle-aged shinobi – attempted to bring his sword about to deflect the attack, but the Kusari dodged around the blade and caught him in the stomach, slightly to the left at around the point his kidney would be found. Not a clean kill, but a nigh-certain one. Naruto jerked his wrist harshly, and then allowed his Kongō Fūsa to dissipate, an agonised, wordless exclamation preceding the dull thump of dead flesh connecting with the iceberg.

The other shinobi, a green-haired kunoichi bellowed at the two genin and slammed her palms to the ice, a technique on her lips that Naruto remembered from Kushina's memories all too well. "Hyōken no Jutsu (Ice Sword Technique)," the woman called, and two blades of ice sprung from each forearm.

_'Curious,'_ Naruto thought. _'I've never seen the technique used like that before…'_

Sakura sent a Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu – weakened, by the temperature and her own poor affinity for the chakra nature – at the green-haired kunoichi, which the woman bore with her two swords held in front of her as shields. Naruto leapt at the woman, kunai held aloft with intent to kill, but the woman parried easily with her own blades – barely scratched, let alone melted – and swung around with a slice and a kick to the left, grazing Naruto's right arm and sending him flying backwards.

As the woman sprinted towards Koyuki, Sakura parried her attacks as best she could, but the younger kunoichi was of neither the physical prowess, nor skill necessary to hold the woman off for long. The princess, stood behind her Konoha-nin guard, held up a crystal which hung around her neck and squeezed it lightly. A bright light was effused from the crystal, which in turn blinded the elder woman.

_'Convenient,_' Naruto thought, as he righted himself and took advantage of the momentary distraction to launch his Kongō Fūsa at the Yuki-nin, who dodged.

A moment later, another Yuki-nin joined the attack, a move which concerned Naruto immensely. _'If one of the other Yuki-nin has defeated their enemy…'_

He shot a glance at Sakura, subtly signing the beginning of a jutsu to her before flicking his eyes towards the boat, and she nodded at him, before directing her attention back to the two enemy shinobi stood opposite of them and their client. The Haruno girl called up on all of her available chakra, sending an empowered Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu at the enemy nin – a technique which Naruto augmented with his own Fūton: Shinkūgyoku. As the powerful combination attack raced towards their enemies, Sakura grabbed Koyuki's hand and ran, sprinting between the broken ranks of their distracted assailants and towards the boat.

One of their two attackers – the woman – attempted to deflect the attack again and took some fairly-major burns as a result. The other managed to roll out of the line of fire, and moved to sprint after the fleeing kunoichi and her charge. A hail of shuriken in front of the man managed to derail his thoughts and return his attention to Naruto.

Naruto span, his twin Kusari moving with him to strike at his foes – the female of which had risen yet again, only somewhat worse for wear and clad in Yuki no Yoroi (Ice Armour), now - kunai prepared to deliver a finishing blow. He felt, rather than saw, someone being struck by his attack, and advanced on them in a moment's notice, aiming to take the fool out.

In the place where he expected to find a downed enemy, he instead found a mound of shredded ice.

He felt some item connect with the back of his head, and then, there was nothingness.

* * *

><p>"<span>Baika no Jutsu (Multi-size Technique)!<span>" Chōji shouted, his appearance becoming more rotund than normal as he tucked in his limbs, then began spinning. "Nikudan Sensha (Human Bullet Tank)!" he shouted, this time, and went rocketing towards one of their enemies.

The bump he rolled over, followed by the crunch of bones beneath him was not satisfying at all. Rather, it made him feel ill.

Out of nowhere, the ice began to move beneath him, and Chōji skidded in his attempts to move away from the area. Stuck in spherical form, he had even less control over his movement than he would have done standing on the ice.

Releasing his jutsu once he had largely evaded the mobile ice, he turned to see a man approaching him.

"Heh, interesting technique you have there, kid." The black-haired man commented, smirking. "Well, for a fat-arse, anyway."

The Akimichi heir saw red.

With a Baika no Jutsu and a Nikudan Sensha, the brunette was off, rocketing towards his foe who dodged cleanly and intoned his own jutsu.

"Hyoton: Hakanai Ashiba (Ice Release: Fleeting Footing)!" the Yuki-nin shouted, and the ice began to shift again, albeit more insistent. As the man lowered his hands to the ground, spikes began to form, striking so close to the Akimichi that he couldn't hesitate for moment, else he end up impaled.

The strikes stopped after a minute or so, and Chōji released his jutsu, needing a moment to recuperate.

"Heh, bit of a one-trick pony, aren't ya?" the man called, voice mocking.

Chōji grimaced. He couldn't use his Doton ninjutsu because of the thick ice, and he knew none that generated their own dirt, like some higher-level jutsu. That left him largely out of his element, here.

He began building chakra for another Baika no Jutsu, but before he could manage it, the man engaged him in taijutsu, flipping and turning with startling ease as he rained kicks and punches down on the brunette. Chōji, for his part, attempted to return the strikes with interest, but it became apparent that he was having little luck.

It didn't take long for the man to fish out a kunai, which the Akimichi heir met in turn, holding it awkwardly. He was not a specialist in shurikenjutsu, and didn't wield a bō-staff, like his father did. But fighting a man with a kunai without one in a taijutsu fight was a fatal error.

They traded blows again for a time, but it became obvious that the man was toying with the Akimichi. Chōji desperately looked for someone around him who could help him, eventually making eye-contact with Ino, who was pinned down by a shinobi about fifteen metres away, and Sasuke.

He made eye-contact with the last Uchiha, also, who appeared to be handling his foe with relative ease and wasn't being pinned down. But the raven ignored his desperate comrade, and Chōji immediately paid the price.

His foe – temporarily ignored – had finally acted. The man's kunai cut upward across his face, excruciating pain radiating from the strike. As the Akimichi staggered back, clutching his face and wailing, he felt a punch connect with his gut, followed by a kick to his already injured face, sending him flying for a few moments. When he hit the ground, it was with less of a skid and more of an agonising thud, a weak groan of pain escaping him as blissful darkness swept him away.

The last sound he heard was Ino's scream.

* * *

><p>Sasuke heard Ino's scream, but ignored it, focusing instead on the foe opposite of him.<p>

There was something about the thrill of real battle – the life-or-death of it, the feeling of adrenaline coursing through him – that Sasuke loved. It made him wonder what he would feel in the greatest battle of his life, when he would finally kill Itachi. How his blood would boil with the sight of that man.

He grinned outright at the thought, disconcerting his foe. The Yuki-nin launched a plethora of senbon at him, so many that Sasuke couldn't track with his Sharingan. Instead, he Shunshin (Body Flicker)'ed out of the way, attempting to strike at his enemy's back only to have them spin and block his strike with a kunai.

The Shunshin intrigued him, he would admit. Most would operate under the assumption that the jutsu was related to teleportation, but in reality it was just linked to insanely fast movement. The 'jutsu' was less of a single act, like the Yondaime's Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God), but rather a sequence of actions – all chakra related – in close sequence. The first was a release of chakra in a wave to disorient any nearby targets, disrupting their ability to sense chakra in a local area. Immediately following that, a single, simple smoke-bomb would be dropped, to obscure the vision of any assailants. Then, the user would increase chakra flow to their limbs to allow incredibly fast movement; the only risks were overuse, since the movement required a constant, _significant_ increase in chakra flow, and the danger of damage to one's body if the chakra flow wasn't carefully managed.

"Flee! Take those you can!" the enemy leader shouted, still locked in battle with Kakashi.

_'What did they mean by that?'_

The Yuki-nin opposite of him suddenly pulled something from their pocket – a metal object that Sasuke knew, on instinct, he could not allow to touch him.

The man threw it at him, and Sasuke dodged cleanly, only seeing the _real_ threat in the last moment. A chakra string, attached to the object, brought it back around in an arc for the Uchiha's back. In response, Sasuke ducked down, hurling himself to the right in a roll. In one fluid movement, he stood, pulling a kunai and hurling it at the enemy nin.

The man lifted a kunai in one hand to deflect the projectiles, stalling the genin's attack and continuing his assault simultaneously. The elder shinobi balanced his efforts fairly well between directing his chakra strings and attacking with a kunai, but not enough to limit the Uchiha to close-range fighting.

Sasuke backflipped cleanly out of his foe's way, making the necessary handsigns for his technique. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" the raven shouted, his attack beating down on his enemy – and the offending metal object - with such ferocity that the man stood no chance.

As the young Uchiha stood victorious over the smouldering corpse of his fallen foe, a disconcerting feeling struck him. _'Something's wrong…'_ he thought. He could _feel_ it… something was off. Something had gone horribly wrong.

But Sasuke realised what, precisely, was wrong a moment later, fear causing his chest to seize up. There were a few of the genin missing… Ino, Shikamaru and…

Naruto.

The Yuki-nin had Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**In regards to the Kurama/Naruto friendship, all I can say is that, currently, that ship has sailed. Whether it will come back to port or not, however, is a matter of time. I am driven to keep Kurama in-character - he respects actions above words, and currently Naruto has no reason to do or say anything beneficial to the Kyūbi.**

**(1) Looking back, I honestly don't know why I used this wording. Perhaps, to quote Sasuke, because "it seems fitting".**

**(2) This is not Naruto 'accepting' his lot. It's him accepting that he would have - and, indeed, _has_ - done the same thing. And he hates that.**

**(3) Naruto didn't have as much chakra as he did in Canon in Inheritance. This is because the Kyūbi was holding back as much as it could (read: pretty much all) of it to enact the changes when he first consciously drew on its chakra - because of this, his reserves weren't being bolstered to the same extent. Regardless, this amount of chakra will improve with time and training.**

**(4) Can you _imagine_ living in the body of the opposite gender, even if only temporarily? It'd be a unique experience, sure, but very disconcerting. Naruto has _whole lives_ as women stuck in his head. _So_, I thought, who's going to know how to deal with that? A Yamanaka. Hence, Mitsu came about. Anyway, since I don't know enough about the counselling process to possibly deal with this realistically, I'll be leaving Mitsu and the meetings with Naruto largely to the imagination. You'll likely get a few glimpses on occasion, though, since Mitsu is a character I need for later plot points. ****J**

**Oh, and while I have the chance to say this – no, Naruto isn't Trans in this story. Flames regarding this misconception will be ignored.**

**PLEASE NOTE: If you have reviewed on this numbered chapter before (the number of chapters has been cut down), and would like to review again (which is appreciated!) either review on a chapter number you've never reviewed on and mention you're reviewing Chapter 4, or post a Guest Review with your full FF name somewhere in it, so I can respond to you. Or drop me a PM! Sorry for any inconvenience.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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